A makeshift knife or blade, often made from improvised materials; used as a weapon in prisons.
From Romani 'chiv' meaning 'knife.' The word entered English slang through interactions with Romani communities in Britain, and became particularly associated with prison terminology.
Shiv comes from Romani language, showing how slang adopts words from marginalized communities—it's now so common in English that few people realize it's not originally English at all!
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