table-knife

A family uses a table-knife to cut a roast chicken at dinner.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A "table-knife" is a knife used at the table during meals, typically for cutting or spreading food such as bread, meat, or butter. It is usually made of metal with a blunt or serrated blade and is part of a standard dinner setting.

Usage Examples

• (A knife used at the dining table for cutting food.)
• (A utensil placed at each place setting for meal use.)
• (A knife designed for spreading soft foods.)

Advanced Usage

• "to use a table-knife": to employ this utensil for its intended purpose during a meal.

  • He learned to use a table-knife properly at formal dinners. (He mastered the correct technique for cutting and spreading with this knife.)

• "table-knife etiquette": the polite and correct way to handle this utensil in social dining settings.

  • In fine dining, one should hold the table-knife in the right hand. (Proper manners dictate the hand used for this knife.)

Variants and Related Words

• Knife (n): a general tool or utensil with a blade used for cutting.
  • The chef sharpened his knife before cooking. (A general cutting tool.)
• Tableware (n): dishes, utensils, and other items used for serving and eating meals.
  • The tableware included a set of table-knives, forks, and spoons. (A collective term for dining utensils.)

Synonyms

• Butter knife: a specific type of table-knife with a blunt, rounded blade used primarily for spreading butter.
• Dinner knife: a larger table-knife used for cutting main course foods like meat.

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms