trench knife

noun

1. a short knife for stabbing, sometimes equipped with brass knuckles as a guard, used in modern warfare in hand-to-hand combat.

trench knife

noun

1. a double-edged steel knife, often with a guard in the form of a knuckle-duster, designed for close combat

Word History and Origins

Origin of trench knife¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of trench knife¹

C20: so called because such knives were carried by patrols in the Trenches during World War I

Example Sentences

A new weapon which had come into use during the great war as part of the soldier's individual equipment was the trench knife.

From Project Gutenberg

But each man had a big trench-knife and a pair of automatic pistols, with plenty of ammunition.

From Project Gutenberg

Somebody could lean over the top and snake off your head with a trench knife before you could get your feet loose.

From Project Gutenberg

Each carried a trench knife and a revolver, the latter for use as a last resource only.

From Project Gutenberg

So I pulled out my trench knife and went for another, but he yelled 'Kamerad!'

From Project Gutenberg