cleaver

noun

cleav·​er ˈklē-vər 

1

: one that cleaves

especially : a butcher's implement for cutting animal carcasses into joints or pieces

2

: a prehistoric stone tool having a sharp edge at one end

Examples of cleaver in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, inspectors said, knives and cleavers were being stored between tables on an unclean surface. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025

Clusters of cleavers grew around the pond that fronted the main house. —Nicolette Polek, Harper's Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

The naked man arrested at a Ventura County high school and linked to killing a teen at a nearby home is the son of the man who killed a 6-year-old boy with a meat cleaver in 2007, authorities said. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

The knifes range from the wee (petty and paring knives) to the grand (cleavers and vegetable knives). —Scott Hocker, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cleaver

noun

cleav·​er ˈklē-vər 

: a heavy knife with a wide blade