The term "shank" is commonly used to refer to any homemade knife, particularly those crafted by inmates in prison. These makeshift weapons are also known as "shiv." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "shive" is believed to have originated from a razor called "shive" in 1915.
A shank is an improvised bladed weapon, capable of being fashioned from virtually any material available. Prison inmates often resort to crafting shanks using whatever resources they can gather. These weapons can range from a sharp piece of glass wrapped in fabric to a razor blade affixed to the end of a toothbrush.
Linguistic Usage
The word "shank" functions as both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it can be used in sentences like "John has a shank ready if anything goes down." As a verb, it can describe an action, as in "Things went down, and John shanked two of them."