Usage of the character 刀

knife
blade
single-edged sword
cutlass
CL:把 (bǎ)
(slang) dollar (loanword)
classifier for sets of one hundred sheets (of paper)
classifier for knife cuts or stabs

Dāo

刀

[刀]

surname Dao

dāokù

刀库

[刀庫]

tool magazine (computer-aided manufacturing)

dāoyè

刀叶

[刀葉]

blade

zhǔdāo

主刀

[主刀]

to act as the chief surgeon
chief surgeon

dāokè

刀客

[刀客]

swordsman
swordswoman

luódāo

螺刀

[螺刀]

screwdriver

Duōdāo

掇刀

[掇刀]

Duodao district of Jingmen city 荊門市／荆门市 ( Jīngménshì), Hubei

liándāo

镰刀

[鐮刀]

sickle

jiǎodāo

绞刀

[絞刀]

reamer

dāoshēn

刀身

[刀身]

blade (of a knife or sword)

shǒudāo

手刀

[手刀]

hand formed into a flat shape, as for a karate chop

fēidāo

飞刀

[飛刀]

a throwing knife
fly cutter (machine tool)

mǎdāo

马刀

[馬刀]

saber
cavalry sword

jiǎndāo

剪刀

[剪刀]

scissors
CL:把 (bǎ)

kǎndāo

砍刀

[砍刀]

machete

dāojiàn

刀剑

[刀劍]

sword

Měidāo

美刀

[美刀]

(slang) US dollar
USD

gàngdāo

杠刀

[槓刀]

to sharpen a knife (or razor etc)

dāoqiào

刀鞘

[刀鞘]

scabbard

dāozǔ

刀俎

[刀俎]

sacrificial knife and altar

jiāndāo

尖刀

[尖刀]

dagger

pǎodāo

跑刀

[跑刀]

racing skates (for ice-skating)

jièdāo

戒刀

[戒刀]

Buddhist monk's knife (not used for killing)

dāopiàn

刀片

[刀片]

blade
razor blade
tool bit

lìdāo

利刀

[利刀]

sharp knife
knife (weapon)

dāocì

刀刺

[刀刺]

to stab
to attack with knife

guādāo

刮刀

[刮刀]

spatula
scraper

bīngdāo

冰刀

[冰刀]

ice skates
ice skate blades

dāojù

刀具

[刀具]

cutting tool

kāidāo

开刀

[開刀]

(of a surgeon) to perform an operation
(of a patient) to have an operation
to decapitate
to behead
to single out as a point of attack

fāndāo

番刀

[番刀]

type of machete used by Taiwan aborigines, worn at the waist in an open-sided scabbard

kuàdāo

跨刀

[跨刀]

to appear in sb's show
(fig.) to give one's support to an endeavor by taking on an important role in it

Dāoláng

刀郎

[刀郎]

Dolan, a people of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, also known as 多郎

dāolèi

刀类

[刀類]

knives
cutlery

xiǎodāo

小刀

[小刀]

knife
CL:把 (bǎ)

módāo

磨刀

[磨刀]

to hone (a knife)

dāobǐ

刀笔

[刀筆]

writing up of official or judicial documents
pettifoggery

qiēdāo

切刀

[切刀]

cutter
knife

xiōngdāo

凶刀

[凶刀]

murder weapon (i.e. knife)

dāochā

刀叉

[刀叉]

knife and fork
CL:副 (fù)

jiǎodāo

铰刀

[鉸刀]

reamer
scissors

cāndāo

餐刀

[餐刀]

table knife
dinner knife

fēngdāo

封刀

[封刀]

to hang up the sword

cìdāo

刺刀

[刺刀]

bayonet

mǒdāo

抹刀

[抹刀]

scraper
trowel
putty knife

zhúdāo

竹刀

[竹刀]

shinai (bamboo sword for kendō)

càidāo

菜刀

[菜刀]

vegetable knife
kitchen knife
cleaver
CL:把 (bǎ)

jūndāo

军刀

[軍刀]

military knife
saber

lièdāo

猎刀

[獵刀]

hunting knife

chīdāo

吃刀

[吃刀]

penetration of a cutting tool

dāolang

刀螂

[刀螂]

(dialect) mantis

pōdāo

朴刀

[朴刀]

sword with a curved blade and a long hilt, wielded with both hands

gāngdāo

钢刀

[鋼刀]

steel knife
sword

túdāo

屠刀

[屠刀]

butcher's knife
abattoir hatchet

dāoyú

刀鱼

[刀魚]

tapertail anchovy (Coilia ectenes)
various species of cutlassfish
saury

bàodāo

刨刀

[刨刀]

planing tool

huàndāo

换刀

[換刀]

tool change (mechanics)

dāokǒu

刀口

[刀口]

the edge of a knife
cut
incision

cuòdāo

锉刀

[銼刀]

file (metalworking and woodworking tool)

dāofēng

刀锋

[刀鋒]

cutting edge or point of a knife, sword or tool

zhádāo

铡刀

[鍘刀]

lever-style guillotine (for chopping fodder etc)

dāorèn

刀刃

[刀刃]

knife blade
crucial point

dāobèi

刀背

[刀背]

back of the knife

nídāo

泥刀

[泥刀]

trowel

bǔdāo

补刀

[補刀]

(gaming) to finish off a wounded combatant
(fig.) to attack sb who is already under fire
to pile on
(sphragistics) to retouch a seal after taking a first impression

shàndāo

钐刀

[釤刀]

scythe

dāozi

刀子

[刀子]

knife
CL:把 (bǎ)

chídāo

持刀

[持刀]

to hold a knife
knife-wielding

dāogōng

刀工

[刀工]

knife work (food preparation)

dāobā

刀疤

[刀疤]

scar from a knife wound

zhédāo

折刀

[折刀]

clasp knife
folding knife

dāoqiāng

刀枪

[刀槍]

sword and spear
weapons

dàdāo

大刀

[大刀]

broadsword
large knife
machete

tìdāo

剃刀

[剃刀]

razor

Dāotǎ

刀塔

[刀塔]

Defense of the Ancients (DotA), video game

Duōdāoqū

掇刀区

[掇刀區]

Duodao district of Jingmen city 荊門市／荆门市 ( Jīngménshì), Hubei

Xiǎodāohuì

小刀会

[小刀會]

Dagger Society, anti-Qing secret society who mounted an unsuccessful rebellion in 1855

tánhuángdāo

弹簧刀

[彈簧刀]

flick knife
switchblade
spring-loaded knife

gǔndāokuài

滚刀块

[滾刀塊]

chunks obtained by repeatedly cutting a vegetable diagonally and rotating the vegetable after each cut

qiēròudāo

切肉刀

[切肉刀]

meat cleaver

jiǎndāochā

剪刀差

[剪刀差]

prices scissor (caught between low income and high prices)

tiáoyàodāo

调药刀

[調藥刀]

spatula

qiánshuǐdāo

潜水刀

[潛水刀]

dive knife

zhǐjiadāo

指甲刀

[指甲刀]

nail clipper

Rìběndāo

日本刀

[日本刀]

Japanese sword
katana

guāhúdāo

刮胡刀

[刮鬍刀]

razor

zhuànbǐdāo

转笔刀

[轉筆刀]

pencil sharpener

èrbǎdāo

二把刀

[二把刀]

inexpert
a botcher

qiānbǐdāo

铅笔刀

[鉛筆刀]

pencil sharpener
CL:把 (bǎ)

luósīdāo

螺丝刀

[螺絲刀]

screwdriver
CL:把 (bǎ)

dāoxiāomiàn

刀削面

[刀削麵]

knife-shaved noodles (pared or shaved into strips), a Shanxi specialty

liǔyèdāo

柳叶刀

[柳葉刀]

lancet (surgeon's knife)

shuǐguǒdāo

水果刀

[水果刀]

paring knife
fruit knife
CL:把 (bǎ)

cèdāopáng

侧刀旁

[側刀旁]

name of the lateral "knife" radical 刂 (dāo) in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 18), occurring in 到 (dào), 利 (lì), 別／别 (bié) etc

dàliándāo

大镰刀

[大鐮刀]

scythe

guāpídāo

刮皮刀

[刮皮刀]

peeler
potato peeler

jiěpōudāo

解剖刀

[解剖刀]

scalpel

lìdāopáng

立刀旁

[立刀旁]

name of the lateral "knife" radical 刂 (dāo) in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 18), occurring in 到 (dào), 利 (lì), 別／别 (bié) etc

gǔndāoròu

滚刀肉

[滾刀肉]

annoying person
troublemaker
pain in the neck

huāyàngdāo

花样刀

[花樣刀]

figure skates

tìxūdāo

剃须刀

[剃鬚刀]

shaver
razor

juǎnbǐdāo

卷笔刀

[卷筆刀]

pencil sharpener (blade-only type)

dāomǎdàn

刀马旦

[刀馬旦]

female warrior role in Chinese opera

qiūdāoyú

秋刀鱼

[秋刀魚]

Pacific saury (Cololabis saira)

bàobǐdāo

刨笔刀

[刨筆刀]

pencil sharpener

yīdāoqiē

一刀切

[一刀切]

lit. to cut all at one stroke (idiom); to impose uniformity
one solution fits a diversity of problems
one size fits all

dàdāohuì

大刀会

[大刀會]

Great Sword Society, an offshoot of the White Lotus in the late Qing dynasty, involved in anti-Western activity at the time of the Boxer rebellion

zhédāor

折刀儿

[折刀兒]

a clasp knife
a folding knife

měigōngdāo

美工刀

[美工刀]

utility knife
box cutter

kāishāndāo

开山刀

[開山刀]

machete

wǔshìdāo

武士刀

[武士刀]

katana

módāoshí

磨刀石

[磨刀石]

whetstone (for honing knives)

yóuhuīdāo

油灰刀

[油灰刀]

putty knife

ruǎndāozi

软刀子

[軟刀子]

(lit.) the soft knife
(fig.) underhanded tactics
devious means of attack

dàjiǎndāo

大剪刀

[大剪刀]

shears
large scissors
secateurs

pīncìdāo

拼刺刀

[拼刺刀]

bayonet charge

dāofǔshǒu

刀斧手

[刀斧手]

lictor

jiǎndāoshǒu

剪刀手

[剪刀手]

V sign (hand gesture)

cāodāoshǒu

操刀手

[操刀手]

person charged with decisive action
hatchet man

xīnrúdāogē

心如刀割

[心如刀割]

to feel as if having one's heart cut out (idiom)
to be torn with grief

jièdāoshārén

借刀杀人

[借刀殺人]

to lend sb a knife to kill sb
to get sb else to do one's dirty work
to attack using the strength of another (idiom)

zhēndāozhēnqiāng

真刀真枪

[真刀真槍]

real swords, real spears (idiom)
real weapons
very much for real
every bit real
the genuine article

yīdāoliǎngduàn

一刀两断

[一刀兩斷]

(idiom) to make a clean break with; to have nothing more to do with

xìmòdāoshí

细磨刀石

[細磨刀石]

whetstone (for honing knives)

niúdāoxiǎoshì

牛刀小试

[牛刀小試]

see 小試牛刀／小试牛刀 (xiǎoshìniúdāo)

liándāofǔtóu

镰刀斧头

[鐮刀斧頭]

the hammer and sickle (flag of USSR, symbolizing rural and proletarian labor)

dàdāokuòfǔ

大刀阔斧

[大刀闊斧]

bold and decisive

dāoshānhuǒhǎi

刀山火海

[刀山火海]

lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
fig. extreme danger (idiom)

liǎngmiànsāndāo

两面三刀

[兩面三刀]

two-faced, three knives (idiom); double-cross
double dealing and back stabbing

bádāoxiāngzhù

拔刀相助

[拔刀相助]

see 路見不平，拔刀相助／路见不平，拔刀相助 (lùjiànbùpíng,bádāoxiāngzhù)

hángyángdāojù

桁杨刀锯

[桁楊刀鋸]

lit. stocks and knives
fig. any punishment equipment
torture instrument

chángbǐngliándāo

长柄镰刀

[長柄鐮刀]

scythe

xiǎoshìniúdāo

小试牛刀

[小試牛刀]

to give a small demonstration of one's impressive skills (idiom)

liǎnglèichādāo

两肋插刀

[兩肋插刀]

lit. knifes piercing both sides (idiom)
fig. to attach a great importance to friendship, up to the point of being able to sacrifice oneself for it

bǎodāobùlǎo

宝刀不老

[寶刀不老]

lit. a good sword always remains sharp (idiom)
fig. (of one's skills etc) to be as good as ever
the old man still has it

dāojùfǔyuè

刀锯斧钺

[刀鋸斧鉞]

knife, saw, ax and hatchet (idiom); facing torture and execution

dāndāofùhuì

单刀赴会

[單刀赴會]

lit. to go among enemies with only one's sword (idiom)
fig. to go alone into enemy lines

dāopiàncìwǎng

刀片刺网

[刀片刺網]

razor wire

dāoguāngjiànyǐng

刀光剑影

[刀光劍影]

lit. flash of knives and swords (idiom)
fig. intense conflict

héngdāoduó'ài

横刀夺爱

[橫刀奪愛]

to rob sb of sth they cherish (idiom)

dāogēnghuǒzhòng

刀耕火种

[刀耕火種]

slash and burn (agriculture)

Ruìshìjūndāo

瑞士军刀

[瑞士軍刀]

Swiss Army knife

qiāndāowànguǎ

千刀万剐

[千刀萬剮]

to hack (sb) to pieces (punishment in former times)

dāojùdǐnghuò

刀锯鼎镬

[刀鋸鼎鑊]

knife, saw and cauldron
ancient instruments of torture
fig. torture

dāndāozhírù

单刀直入

[單刀直入]

to get straight to the point (idiom)

xīnrúdāojiǎo

心如刀绞

[心如刀絞]

to feel a pain like a knife being twisted in one's heart (idiom)

huǒhǎidāoshān

火海刀山

[火海刀山]

see 刀山火海 (dāoshānhuǒhǎi)

bǎodāowèilǎo

宝刀未老

[寶刀未老]

treasure knife does not age (idiom); old but still vigorous

dāoqiāngbùrù

刀枪不入

[刀槍不入]

lit. impervious to sword or spear (idiom)
fig. invulnerable
untouchable
thick-skinned
impervious to criticism

módāohuòhuò

磨刀霍霍

[磨刀霍霍]

lit. to sharpen one's sword (idiom)
fig. to prepare to attack; to be getting ready for battle

dāocìxìngtòng

刀刺性痛

[刀刺性痛]

lancing pain

dǎbáojiǎndāo

打薄剪刀

[打薄剪刀]

thinning scissors

xiàolǐcángdāo

笑里藏刀

[笑裡藏刀]

lit. a dagger hidden in smiles (idiom); friendly manners belying hypocritical intentions
when the fox preaches, look to the geese

dāoguāngxuèyǐng

刀光血影

[刀光血影]

massacre

kuàidāoduànluànmá

快刀断乱麻

[快刀斷亂麻]

lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom); decisive action in a complex situation
cutting the Gordian knot

kuàidāozhǎnluànmá

快刀斩乱麻

[快刀斬亂麻]

lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom); decisive action in a complex situation
cutting the Gordian knot

jiǎndāoshítoubù

剪刀石头布

[剪刀石頭布]

rock-paper-scissors (game)

shízìtóuluódāo

十字头螺刀

[十字頭螺刀]

Phillips screwdriver (i.e. with cross slit)

chángbǐngdàliándāo

长柄大镰刀

[長柄大鐮刀]

scythe

dāopiàntiěsīwǎng

刀片铁丝网

[刀片鐵絲網]

razor wire

tiānshàngxiàdāozi

天上下刀子

[天上下刀子]

lit. knives rain down from the sky (idiom)
fig. (even if) the sky crumbles

Aòkǎmǔtìdāo

奥卡姆剃刀

[奧卡姆剃刀]

Occam's razor

gējīyānyòngniúdāo

割鸡焉用牛刀

[割雞焉用牛刀]

lit. why use a pole-ax to slaughter a chicken? (idiom)
fig. to waste effort on a trifling matter
also written 殺雞焉用牛刀／杀鸡焉用牛刀 (shājīyānyòngniúdāo)

shājīyānyòngniúdāo

杀鸡焉用牛刀

[殺雞焉用牛刀]

don't use a sledgehammer on a nut
aquila non capit muscam

zìdònghuàndāozhuāngzhì

自动换刀装置

[自動換刀裝置]

automatic tool changer (ATC)

liándāoxìbāopínxuè

镰刀细胞贫血

[鐮刀細胞貧血]

sickle cell anemia

shàngdāoshān,xiàyóuguō

上刀山，下油锅

[上刀山，下油鍋]

lit. to climb mountains of swords and enter cauldrons of boiling oil (idiom)
fig. to go through trials and tribulations

módāobùwùkǎncháigōng

磨刀不误砍柴工

[磨刀不誤砍柴工]

lit. sharpening the axe won't make the wood-splitting take longer (idiom)
fig. time invested in preparations is not lost
a beard well lathered is half shaved

shàngdāoshān,xiàhuǒhǎi

上刀山，下火海

[上刀山，下火海]

lit. to climb mountains of swords and enter seas of flames (idiom)
fig. to go through trials and tribulations (often, for a noble cause)

Guāngōngmiànqiánshuǎdàdāo

关公面前耍大刀

[關公面前耍大刀]

lit. to wield the broadsword in the presence of Lord Guan (idiom)
fig. to make a fool of oneself by showing off in front of an expert

shíjiānshìbǎshāzhūdāo

时间是把杀猪刀

[時間是把殺豬刀]

lit. time is a butcher's knife
fig. time marches on, relentless and unforgiving
nothing gold can stay

dāozizuǐ,dòufuxīn

刀子嘴，豆腐心

[刀子嘴，豆腐心]

to have a sharp tongue but a soft heart (idiom)

sèzìtóushàngyībǎdāo

色字头上一把刀

[色字頭上一把刀]

lit. there is a knife above the character for lust
fig. lascivious activities can lead to bitter consequences

dāozizuǐba,dòufuxīn

刀子嘴巴，豆腐心

[刀子嘴巴，豆腐心]

lit. knife mouth but heart of bean curd; sharp tongue concealing a caring heart

fàngxiàtúdāo,lìdìchéngfó

放下屠刀，立地成佛

[放下屠刀，立地成佛]

lay down butcher's knife, become a Buddha on the spot (idiom); instant rehabilitation
to repent and be absolved of one's crimes

lùjiànbùpíng,bádāoxiāngzhù

路见不平，拔刀相助

[路見不平，拔刀相助]

lit. to intervene when one sees an injustice (idiom)
fig. to rush to the rescue
to play the white knight

rénwéidāozǔ,wǒwéiyúròu

人为刀俎，我为鱼肉

[人為刀俎，我為魚肉]

lit. to be the meat on sb's chopping block (idiom)
fig. to be at sb's mercy

dāobùmóyàoshēngxiù,rénbùxuéyàoluòhòu

刀不磨要生锈，人不学要落后

[刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後]

(idiom) a blade will get rusty if it is not sharpened; a man will fall behind if he doesn't study