Shiv (weapon)

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A shiv that a prisoner concealed in a book - on display at the Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum.

A shiv (possibly from the Romani word chivomengro, "knife"[1]) is a slang term for any sharp or pointed implement used as a knife-like weapon. However, the word in practical usage is frequently used when referring to an improvised bladed weapon. Shivs are commonly made by inmates in prisons across the world. A shiv can be anything from a glass shard with fabric wrapped around one end to form a handle, to a razorblade stuck in the end of a toothbrush. Synonyms include shank and chib (from Scottish slang, as exemplified in the novel Trainspotting, "chib" was originally a name for a blunt weapon such as a baseball bat or tree branch). These terms, along with "shiv", can be used either as a noun or a transitive verb, referring to the weapon or the act of attacking with such a weapon respectively.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Johns Hopkins University; JSTOR (Organization) (1934). Modern Language Notes. Vol. 49. Johns Hopkins Press. p. 99. http://books.google.com/books?id=oxQ5AAAAMAAJ&q=shiv#search_anchor. Retrieved 09 December 2011. 


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