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
The knifes range from the wee (petty and paring knives) to the grand (cleavers and vegetable knives).
—
Scott Hocker, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Earlier that morning, without warning, his 15-year-old son Ming (Dylan So) murdered his mother and younger sister Grace (Lainey Hung) with a meat cleaver.
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 2 Nov. 2024
Comments The horror genre tends to be as subtle as a meat cleaver to the skull.
—Keith Staskiewicz, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
The question is how to get there from here, particularly as the butcher’s cleaver is ascendant over the diplomat.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleaver 
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Scott Hocker, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Earlier that morning, without warning, his 15-year-old son Ming (Dylan So) murdered his mother and younger sister Grace (Lainey Hung) with a meat cleaver.
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 2 Nov. 2024
Comments The horror genre tends to be as subtle as a meat cleaver to the skull.
—Keith Staskiewicz, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
The question is how to get there from here, particularly as the butcher’s cleaver is ascendant over the diplomat.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleaver
Dictionary Entries Near cleaver
Cite this Entry
“Cleaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleaver. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cleaver
noun
cleav·er
ˈklē-vər 
: a heavy knife with a wide blade
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