Definition of "knife-rest" [knife-rest]

• A small metal bar between two supports, or some similar contrivance, on which the blade of a carving-knife and the steel part of a carving-fork may be rested after use at the table, so that they may not soil the table-cloth. (noun)
• Abench for holding cutlery to a grindstone, or for supporting the knives of a harvester while being sharpened. (noun)

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "He transferred some personal items from his old pouch and case to the new one-his pens and knife, some small money, the unicorn knife-rest that he carried as a luck-piece'ran a comb through his unruly hair, glanced at the result in the mirror, and sighed."
• "It was only when the knife-rest was his that Kellen gave it a good look, and discovered it wasn't a two-headed horse at all-but a two-headed unicorn, the horns worn down by much handling to mere nubs."
• ""That there's a knife-rest, sor," said the ugliest cheerful man — or the cheerfullest ugly man — Kellen had ever seen."