Shiv (possibly from the
Romani word
chivomengro, "knife"), also
chiv, is a
slang term for any sharp or pointed implement used as a
knife-like
weapon. The
Oxford English Dictionary suggests
shive, a razor, documented in 1915, as the
root word. In the 1920s, "shiv" was also a common slang term for a bladed weapon, mostly a knife. In the U.S., these improvised prison knives are often called
shanks.