English

Adjective

under the knife ‎(not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Undergoing a surgical procedure.
   • 1964 April 24, "Operation Royal," Time:

     Rumor that De Gaulle was under the knife sped through Paris. . . . Finally, at 7:15 p.m., a bulletin signed by three doctors said that De Gaulle had been operated on that morning.

Translations

Adverb

under the knife ‎(not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Into surgery.
   • 2006 August 19, Michael S. Schmidt, "Baseball: After Shea, Life Diverges for Two Mets," New York Times (retrieved 1 Aug 2008):

     "I don't want to go under the knife again. I had 10 surgeries as a player and many more since," Dykstra said.

References

• "under the knife" at OneLook Dictionary Search