Definition

1. Noun:
   • A playing card: One of the four face cards in a standard deck of playing cards, bearing the image of a young prince or soldier, ranking below a queen and above a ten. It is also called a jack.
   • A dishonest man: A deceitful, untrustworthy, or unscrupulous man; a rogue or scoundrel.
   • (Archaic) A male servant: In historical usage, a boy or man employed as a servant, often of low rank.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Playing Card):
  • He played the knave of hearts to win the trick.
  • In this game, the knave is worth 11 points.
• Noun (Dishonest Man):
  • The politician was revealed to be a knave who had lied to the public.
  • Don't trust him; he's a knave who will cheat you given the chance.
• Noun (Archaic - Servant):
  • The king's knave brought him his wine. (This usage is now rare and found in historical texts.)

Advanced Usage

• "Knave of hearts": A specific reference to the jack of hearts playing card, sometimes used in literature and poetry.
  • She was charmed by the knave of hearts in the illustration.
• Used in formal or literary contexts to describe villainy or trickery.
  • The tale is about a knave who tricks a wise old man.

Variants and Related Words

• Knavery (noun): Dishonest or unscrupulous behavior; trickery.
  • His business dealings were full of knavery.
• Knavish (adjective): Of or like a knave; dishonest.
  • He gave a knavish smile before telling the lie.

Synonyms

• Jack (for the playing card).
• Scoundrel, rogue, rascal, villain (for the dishonest man).
• Varlet (archaic synonym for a rogue or servant).

Related Phrases

• "Every man is either a fool or a knave.": A proverbial saying suggesting people are either naive/unwise or deliberately wicked.
• "Knave in grain" or "arrant knave": An emphatic phrase meaning a complete and utter scoundrel.
  • He was an arrant knave, without a single honest bone in his body.

Notes

• In modern English, "jack" is the more common term for the playing card, while "knave" is considered old-fashioned for that meaning.
• The meaning of a dishonest man is still used, primarily in formal, literary, or humorous contexts.

Noun

1. one of four face cards in a deck bearing a picture of a young prince
2. a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel