noun

cleaver

KLEEV

Cleaver (noun) means a heavy, wide-bladed knife used mainly by butchers for chopping through meat and bone. Example: “The butcher brought the cleaver down hard to split the ribs.”

noun

A heavy, wide-bladed knife used mainly by butchers for chopping through meat and bone.

"The butcher brought the cleaver down hard to split the ribs."

"He kept a well-worn cleaver hanging above the chopping block."

How to use cleaver

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA big, heavy kitchen knife made for hacking through tough meat or bone, not for fine slicing.

Common pairings

a butcher's cleaver meat cleaver swing a cleaver

Word forms

cleavers plural, Cleavers plural

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The butcher brought the _____ down hard to split the ribs.

Etymology

Formed from "cleave" (to split) plus the agent suffix "-er" — literally "a thing that cleaves."

Synonyms

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chopper meat cleaver

Related words

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Rhymes for cleaver

aver waver saver beaver weaver shaver slaver braver Seaver cadaver lifesaver

See all rhymes for 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.

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