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Swiss Army knife

noun
/ˌswɪsˈɑɹmiˌnaɪf/US

Etymology

From the prominent (although not exclusive) association of this type of knife with officers of the Swiss Army; see Swiss Army knife § History for details.

Definitions

  1. Any of a class of multi-function pocket knives or multitools, having a blade and various…

    Any of a class of multi-function pocket knives or multitools, having a blade and various tools, such as screwdrivers and can openers.

    • She carries a Swiss Army knife for the convenience of having dozens of small tools handy at any moment.

  2. A tool or approach that has many functions, one for every perceivable need.

    • This software has been a good Swiss Army knife for us as we rebuild our systems.

The neighborhood

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sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA