utility knife

[ yoo-til-i-tee nahyf ]

noun

, plural u·til·i·ty knives [yoo-, til, -i-tee nahyvz]

1. any of various knives, often with a retractable, replaceable razorlike blade, used for a variety of cutting, scraping, or scoring work:

   The crafts department sells a fully equipped tool kit, complete with all the sizes of utility knives that you’re looking for.

Word History and Origins

Origin of utility knife¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

This year, the best home products include a utility knife that turns into a scraper, a robotic vacuum-mop that knows how to avoid wetting your carpet, and shingles that very well could contain recycled asphalt from your neighbor’s old roof.

From Popular-Science

Those formerly luscious locks love to loop, loop, loop around the rotating cylinder until it’s so clogged you have to wield scissors or a utility knife to free it—barely able to tell which bristles are built in and which used to be on someone’s dome.

From Popular-Science

For knives, all you need are a sharp chef’s knife and a small utility knife.

From Outside Online

He took from his pocket a general utility knife and slipped out a thin steel needle.

From Project Gutenberg

Moving as if in a dream, he reached down into his lap and drew out a small utility knife.

From Project Gutenberg

This will be your table knife, as well as cooking and general utility knife.

From Project Gutenberg