How do you use "Under the knife" in a sentence?

He's going under the knife tomorrow. I've been under the knife three times. She's nervous about going under the knife.

Under the knife

Q: What does "Under the knife" mean?

Having surgery. 'Going under the knife' means having surgery—the knife being the surgeon's scalpel. Common expression for any surgical procedure. 'She's going under the knife next week' indicates scheduled surgery.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Meaning: Having surgery.

接受手术。

Someterse a una operación quirúrgica.

手術を受けること。

수술을 받는 것.

'Going under the knife' means having surgery—the knife being the surgeon's scalpel. Common expression for any surgical procedure. 'She's going under the knife next week' indicates scheduled surgery.

「going under the knife」意思是接受手术——「knife」指的是外科医生的手术刀。用于任何外科手术的常见表达。「She's going under the knife next week」表示预定了手术。

«Going under the knife» significa operarse, el «knife» es el bisturí del cirujano. Es una expresión habitual para cualquier intervención quirúrgica. «She's going under the knife next week» indica una operación programada.

「going under the knife」は手術を受けるという意味——「knife」は外科医のメスのこと。あらゆる外科手術に使える一般的な表現。「She's going under the knife next week」は予定された手術を示す。

'Go under the knife'는 수술을 받는다는 뜻으로, knife는 외과의의 메스를 가리킨다. 모든 종류의 수술에 쓰이는 흔한 표현이다. 'She's going under the knife next week'은 수술이 예정되어 있음을 나타낸다.

Examples

He's going under the knife tomorrow.
他明天要做手术
Mañana le operan
「彼は明日手術を受ける」
그는 내일 수술을 받는다.
I've been under the knife three times.
我做过三次手术了
Me han operado tres veces
「3回手術を受けた」
세 번이나 수술을 받았어.
She's nervous about going under the knife.
她对做手术感到紧张
Está nerviosa por la operación
「手術を受けるのが不安だ」
수술 받는 게 불안하대.

Pronunciation

/ˈʌndə ðə naɪf/

Usage Guide

Context: surgery, hospital, operations

Tone: dramatic, casual

✓ Do Say

Under the knife
动刀子
pasar por el quirófano
メスの下で
수술을 받다 (under the knife)
Going under the knife
去做手术
operarse
手術を受ける
수술대에 오르다 (going under the knife)

Common Mistakes

Metaphorical—modern surgery often doesn't involve actual cutting

Origin & History

Reference to the surgeon's scalpel—the knife used in operations. Direct, slightly dramatic way to describe surgery. Long-established English idiom.

Etymology: Reference to surgeon's scalpel

First recorded: 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common expression

Regional notes: Universal English.

Variations

Under the knifeGo under the knife