Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

night of the long knives

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.83 in modern English

Syllables: night of the -long knives
IPA

38

Scrabble Score

20

Letters

2

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A purge, in which opponents of a regime or political party are killed or removed.

noun

Alternative letter-case form of night of the long knives (“purge”)

noun

Alternative letter-case form of night of the long knives (“purge”)

Example Sentences

"(It was to precede yet another night of the long knives—this one of Republican knives honed up for Truman and the new Truman-Democratic Party. But this latter would in some ways be actually a manifestation of secondary importance.)"
"Although the business world has its “nights of the long knives,” the affluent are generally reluctant to be totally ruthless either in competition with one another or against individuals of lesser financial standing."
"[…] was unable to fight, Americans didn't understand the Vietnamese, all whites must encourage only selected Vietnamese loyal to the French because the remainder would turn against all whites in another "night of the long knives" similar to that of 1946."
"[…] while the architects watched hopelessly and helplessly. Again, it was a group of young Nigerian revolutionaries in military uniform who rushed to the rescue and tried to save the country from the experience of another night of the long knives."
"[…] who understand 2008 NHS dynamics, and while some trusts have to strengthen their line-ups during the course of the application process, I would counsel against dramatic nights of the long knives."

Etymology

Calque of German Nacht der langen Messer, which see for more. In English it tied in with earlier uses of the motif of long knives, as in phrases like the Treachery of the Long Knives (a pseudohistorical massacre of Celts by Anglo-Saxons), used since at least the 1800s.

Inflected Forms

nights of the long knives (plural) night of long knives (alternative)

Questions

What does night of the long knives mean?: A purge, in which opponents of a regime or political party are killed or removed.
Where does night of the long knives come from?: Calque of German Nacht der langen Messer, which see for more. In English it tied in with earlier uses of the motif of long knives, as in phrases like the Treachery of the Long Knives (a pseudohistorical massacre of Celts by Anglo-Saxons), used since at least the 1800s.

How to pronounce night of the long knives

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