Definition

Noun: A trench knife is a type of combat knife specifically designed for close-quarters, hand-to-hand fighting. It is characterized by a double-edged blade and often features a hand guard, sometimes with knuckledusters, to protect the wielder's hand during thrusting and slashing motions.

Usage

The term is used to describe a specific historical and functional class of knife. * It is primarily associated with military use, especially in the context of trench warfare during World War I. * It functions as a tool for extreme close combat where longer weapons are impractical.

Examples

• The soldier was issued a trench knife before the night raid.
• Museums often display trench knives alongside other equipment from the Great War.
• Its design, with a double-edged blade and a heavy guard, makes a trench knife a formidable last-resort weapon.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe any tool or strategy that is brutally direct and effective in a confined, high-stakes conflict.
  • In the cutthroat world of corporate negotiations, his sharp wit was his trench knife.

Variants and Related Words

• Combat knife (n): A more general term for any knife designed for military use.
• Fighting knife (n): A broad category that includes trench knives, bowie knives, and other blades made for combat.

Synonyms

• Fighting knife
• Combat knife
• Dagger (though a dagger is a more general term for a double-edged stabbing weapon, not all daggers are trench knives)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Close-quarters combat (CQC): The type of fighting for which a trench knife is designed.
• Hand-to-hand fighting: Direct physical combat, the primary context for using a trench knife.

Noun

1. a knife with a double-edged blade for hand-to-hand fighting