| 1. | a small, often decorative, knifelike instrument with a blade of metal, ivory, wood, or the like, for slitting open envelopes, the leaves of books, folded papers, etc. |
| 2. | the blade of a paper cutter. |
| paper knife | |
noun | |
| dull knife used to cut open the envelopes in which letters are mailed or to slit uncut pages of books [syn: letter opener] |