cleaver
2 synonyms for cleaver, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A heavy, wide-bladed knife used mainly by butchers for chopping through meat and bone.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
meat cleaver
How to use cleaver
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a butcher's cleaver
meat cleaver
swing a cleaver
Etymology
Formed from "cleave" (to split) plus the agent suffix "-er" — literally "a thing that cleaves."
Full origin of cleaver →Frequently asked questions
What does “cleaver” mean?
The word “cleaver” means a heavy, wide-bladed knife used mainly by butchers for chopping through meat and bone. In plain terms, a big, heavy kitchen knife made for hacking through tough meat or bone, not for fine slicing.
How do you pronounce “cleaver”?
“Cleaver” is pronounced KLEEV (/ˈklivɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “cleaver” in a sentence?
Here is “cleaver” used in a sentence: “The butcher brought the cleaver down hard to split the ribs.”
What part of speech is “cleaver”?
“Cleaver” is a noun.
Related words
cleave
pole cleaver
