A man who steals and lies is an example of a knave.
- a serving boy or male servant
- a man of humble birth or status
- a dishonest, deceitful person; tricky rascal; rogue
- jack ()
Origin of knaveMiddle English knaue ; from Old English cnafa, boy, male child, akin to German knabe
- An unprincipled, crafty fellow.
- a. A male servant.b. A man of humble birth.
- Games See jack.
Origin of knaveMiddle English, from Old English cnafa, boy, male servant.
From Middle English knave, from Old English cnafa (“child, boy, youth; servant”), from Proto-Germanic *knabô (“boy, youth”), from Proto-Indo-European *gnebʰ- (“to press, tighten”), from Proto-Indo-European *gen- (“to pinch, squeeze, bend, press together, ball”). Cognate with German Knabe (“lad”) and Dutch knaap (“lad”). Related also to knape.