Knife (?), n.; pl.Knives (#). [OE. knif, AS. cnīf; akin to D. knijf, Icel. knīfr, Sw. knif, Dan. kniv.] 1. An instrument consisting of a thin blade, usually of steel and having a sharp edge for cutting, fastened to a handle, but of many different forms and names for different uses; as, table knife, drawing knife, putty knife, pallet knife, pocketknife, penknife, chopping knife, etc..
2. A sword or dagger.
The coward conquest of a wretch's knife. Shak.
Knife grass(Bot.) a tropical American sedge (Scleria latifolia), having leaves with a very sharp and hard edge, like a knife. — War to the knife, mortal combat; a conflict carried to the last extremity.