okapi, noun

/əʊˈkɑːpi/
Forms:
Also ou kappie, and with initial capital.
Origin:
Trade name, named for a rare Central African mammal of the Giraffidae.
slang
In urban (mainly township) English: a single-bladed knife usually with a pattern of stars on its handle. Also attributive. See also three star.
1974 K.M.C. Motsisi in Drum 22 Mar. 56Kid Nyaks is in the habit of assaulting non-voters with this ‘ou kappie’ he always wears in his buttock pocket.
1974 K.M.C. Motsisi in Drum 8 July 58He tells me that he must..raise money to pay his creditors one of whom promises to ventilate his body with a ‘ou kappie’ if he does not pay him.
1981 B. Mfenyana in M. Mutloatse Reconstruction 302When we glorify iscamto are we not also praising the thug, the cowardly lout with an okapi in his back-pocket?
1982 V. Khumalo in Pace May 158A guy walks into a shebeen, party or gathering. His wet hand is gently fondling an okapi in the depths of his khaki pants.
1987 Learn & Teach No.5, 16Bra Mofere-fere is bad news. Once he takes out his Okapi it always goes back to his pocket with blood.
1990 New African 25 June 10What happened to the proud, energetic cop who would stop you in the street, search you and arrest you for just an okapi (knife) should it be found in your possession?
1993 S. Dikeni in Cape Times 21 Aug. (Top of the Times) 17The big discovery was the intuitive reach for the back pocket whenever I saw something that looked vaguely like brah skin head. The Okapi draw.
a single-bladed knife usually with a pattern of stars on its handle. Also attributive.
Derivatives:
Hence okapi  transitive verb  slang, to stab.
1987 Drum Jan. 51It was not long after that he was Okapied on the steps of the Senate — a reminder incidentally that necklacing those in power is as old as the hills.
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okapi, v.

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slang
OFS, nounn.oke, nounn.
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