steak knife
Definition
Noun: A sharp table knife with a serrated blade, specifically designed for cutting cooked steak.
Usage
A steak knife is a piece of cutlery provided to diners to cut through the firm texture of a cooked steak. It is typically found in steakhouses or used during formal or home meals involving steak.
Examples
- The waiter set down our plates and provided a steak knife for each of us.
- A good steak knife should cut through meat easily without requiring a sawing motion.
- This set of cutlery includes eight dinner forks, eight dinner knives, and eight steak knives.
Advanced Usage
- As a distinguishing feature: The term can be used to specify a type of knife within a collection or set.
- The block holds chef's knives, paring knives, and steak knives.
Variants and Related Words
- Table knife: A more general term for any knife used while eating at a table.
- Serrated knife: A knife with a saw-toothed edge, which is the typical blade style of a steak knife.
Synonyms
- Carving knife (though this is typically larger and for serving at the table, not for individual place settings)
- Meat knife
Notes
The "steak knife" is defined by its specific function. It is not used for general cutting tasks like a chef's knife, nor for spreading like a butter knife. Its primary and defining purpose is cutting steak.
Noun
-
a sharp table knife used in eating steak
