steak knife
15
1.4
- noun
- /steɪk naɪf/
:
cuchillo para carne
- Sandra: I love those Cutco steak knives and had a few when I lived in the States.
- a serrated steak knife
- set of steak knives
- grab a steak knife
Tell them what they win, Josh, a set of steak knives.
- Tell them what they win, Josh, a set of steak knives.
- You put down the bottle of Jack Daniels and give me that steak knife, OK?
Examples
-
Or perhaps a steak knife from the kitchen.
Academic text (2004) -
But by then, I had become accomplished with the steak knife.
Fiction book (1997) -
Can't have a steak without your steak knife.
-
There's some steak knives in the drawer.
-
Cheap forks, knives, and spoons; a spatula, a steak knife, a can opener, and a screwdriver.
Fiction book (1990) -
Before the main courses were served, the waiter placed a sharp steak knife beside Lowell's dinner plate.
-
Can't have a steak without your steak knife.
-
If you need new steak knives, now might be a good time to stock up.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A tool with a sharp blade and handle used for cutting or as a weapon
How Sharp
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a knife for cutting steak' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'steak' (the type/purpose) with 'knife' (cutting implement); the modifier + noun compound clearly signals a knife used for steak. This noun–noun compounding pattern is highly productive in English and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.
Etymology
Steak knife is named for its job at the table: a knife made to cut steak. Its sharp or saw-like edge lets each person cut cooked meat easily, so today it means 'a table knife for cutting steak'.