▪ I. knave, n.
(neɪv)
Forms: 1 cnafa, 3 cnafe, 3–4 cnaue, 3–7 knaue, (4–5 knawe, knaf(e, 5 knaffe, 5–6 Sc. knaif(f), 4– knave.
[OE. cnafa = OHG. knabo, chnabe (MHG. and G. knabe):—OTeut. *knaƀon-. The relation between this and the synonymous cnapa, knape (q.v.) is not clear.
OHG. had also knappo (MHG. and G. knappe): on the supposed relationship between this and knabo, see Streitberg Urgerm. Gram. p. 151.]
† 1. A male child, a boy. Obs.
| a 1050 Liber Scintill. lv. (1889) 172/19 Na ᵹedafenað þam se to fulfremednysse hoᵹað, gamenian mid cnafan [L. cum parvulo]. c 1205 Lay. 292 Þa þe time com: Þat þe cnaue wes iboren. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1151 So ðat he haueð.. on eiðer here a knaue bi-geten. a 1300 Cursor M. 10267 Þe lagh..Biclepis þat man for maledight Þat has na barn, ne mai ne knaue. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xvi. (Magdalena) 362 Grant ws grace a barne to hafe, othire a madyne or a knaf. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xiii. 554 Is youre chyld a knave? |
2. A boy or lad employed as a servant; hence, a male servant or menial in general; one of low condition. (Freq. opposed to knight.) Now arch.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Spelman) lxxxv. 16 (Bosw.) Syle mihte cnafan þinum [L. puero tuo]. a 1225 Ancr. R. 380 Þe kokes knaue, þet wassheð þe disshes iðe kuchene. a 1300 Cursor M. 3153 He bad cum wit him knaues tua. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. vi. 54 Men sholde constreyne no clerke to knauene werkes. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 506 There may no lord take up a newe gise, But that a knave shalle the same uptake. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xxix. (1845) 135 Icham a gentylman of much noble kynne, Thoughe Iche be clad in a knaves skynne. 1600 J. Dymmok Ireland (1843) 7 Every Horseman hath two or thre horses, and to every horse a knave. 1697 Dryden Virg. Past. iii. 22 What Nonsense wou'd the Fool thy Master prate, When thou, his Knave, canst talk at such a rate! 1820 Scott Monast. xii, A man seeks but his awn, and yet folk shall hold him for both miller and miller's man, that is miller and knave. 1825 ― Talism. xx, Thou art an apt, and wilt doubtless be a useful, knave. |
3. An unprincipled man, given to dishonourable and deceitful practices; a base and crafty rogue. (Now the main sense. Often contrasted with fool.)
In early use the sense may have been ‘one of low or ignoble character’, ‘a mean person’.
| c 1205 Lay. 16303 For vnwis is þe king,..& a cnaue is his broðer. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 855 What! he wonded no woþe of wekked knauez. 1481 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 315 Yf any Brother..dysspysse anoder, callenge hym knaffe, or horson, or deffe, or any yoder mysname. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxviii. 39 In Hevin ȝe salbe sanctis full cleir, Thocht ȝe be knavis in this cuntre. 1555 Eden Decades 33 His accusers were nowghtye felowes, abhominable knaues & vylaynes. 1668 Pepys Diary 29 Jan., The veriest knave and bufflehead that ever he saw in his life. 1726 Swift Gulliver i. vi, The honest dealer is always undone, and the knave gets the advantage. 1800 Wellington Let. to Lieut. Col. Close in Gurw. Desp. (1837) I. 258 The common practice is to accuse a man of being either a fool or a knave. 1847 Tennyson Princ. iv. 110 Knaves are men, That lute and flute fantastic tenderness, And dress the victim to the offering up. |
b. In various proverbial expressions.
| 1546 J. Heywood Prov. (1867) 29 Two false knaues neede no broker, men say. Ibid., Some saie also, it is mery when knaues meete. Ibid. 47 An olde knaue is no childe. 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. 5 Thus the English Prouerb saith, No knaue to the learned knaue. |
c. Jocularly, or without seriously implying bad qualities (cf. rogue, rascal). Now rare.
| a 1553 Udall Royster D. iii. iii. (Arb.) 46 Good night Roger olde knaue! 1605 Shakes. Lear i. iv. 107 How now, my pretty knaue, how dost thou? 1670 Eachard Cont. Clergy 4 Lads, that are arch knaves at the nominative case. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair v, A roar would follow from all the circle of young knaves, usher and all. |
4. In playing-cards: The lowest court card of each suit, bearing the representation of a soldier or servant; the jack.
| 1568 U. Fulwell Like Will to Like in Hazl. Dodsley III. 309 (Stage direction) Here entereth Nichol Newfangle..and hath a knave of clubs in his hand. a 1612 Harington Epigr., A sawcy Knave, to trump both King and Queene. 1712–14 Pope Rape Lock iii. 87 The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts, And wins..the Queen of Hearts. 1796 E. Hamilton Lett. Hindoo Rajah I. 150 If any one of the figures has any claim to European origin, it is that of Knaves. 1868 Pardon Card Player 11 The old German cards had neither queen nor knave. |
† 5. A contrivance in which a spool or spindle revolves. Obs. rare.
| 1564 Inv. in Noake Worcestersh. Relics (1877) 13 In the weaving shoppe ij pare of shuttels, a swiste and a knave to the quiltourne. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 287/2 The Reeling Pin (which some call a Knave..) is for the Spool to run or turn upon whilst it is Reeling upon the Reel. |
6. attrib. and Comb., as knave-fool; knave-born adj.; † knave-seller, a slave-dealer; † knave's grease, a flogging; † knave's mustard, some cruciferous plant. Also knave-bairn, -child.
| 1860 Gen. P. Thompson Audi Alt. III. cxxxviii. 112 Get up *knave-born falsehoods against the people and governors of foreign countries. |
| 1627 Drayton Moon-calf Poems (1810) 129/1 Whilst that *knave-fool..Smiles at the coxcomb, which admires him so. |
| 1552 Huloet, *Knaue seller, or he that selleth knaues or slaues. |
| 1608 Withal's Dict. Childr. 73 Mastigophorus,..that is worthie to bee beaten, or scourged, they cal it *knaues grease. |
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. xix. 206 The thirde kinde of treacle Mustarde, named *knaues Mustard (for that it is too bad for honest men). |
▪ II. knave, v.
(neɪv)
[f. knave n.]
trans. In various nonce-uses: a. To call (any one) knave. b. To make a knave of. c. To steal like a knave. d. To force knavishly. Hence ˈknaving vbl. n.
| 1545 1st Exam. Anne Askewe in Bale's Sel. Wks. (Parker Soc.) 173 Dog's rhetoric and cur's courtesy, knavings, brawlings, and quarrellings. 1598 J. M. Seruingmans Comf. (1868) 162 What cares a Gentleman now adayes to knaue and rascall his Man at euery worde? 1605 Kyd 1st Pt. Jeronimo in Hazl. Dodsley IV. 361 He's a great man, therefore we must not knave him. 1658 Sir T. Browne Hydriot. ii, To be knav'd out of our graves. 1732 Gentleman Instructed (ed. 10) 477 (D.) How many nets do they lay to ensnare the squire and knave themselves. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 18 Sad deeds bewailing of the prowling fox; How in the roost the thief had knav'd his way. |