m., mod. hnífr; [Dan. kniv; Swed. knif; Engl. knife]:—a knife or dirk, such as the ancients wore fastened to their belts; and so a knife with a belt is freq. mentioned as a gift; the handles of these knives or dirks were neatly carved of walrus’ tusks; see Landn. l. c., Sks. l. c., Am. 55, 59, Gþl. 164, Eg. 210, N. G. L. i. 39, Bs. i. 385; kníf ok belli, Nj. 73, Fs. 98: metaph. in the phrase, kaupa um knífa, to exchange knives, to change one’s state, Korm. 238; skar Tjörfi þau á knífsskepti sínu, T. carved their images on his knives’ handles, Landn. 248; hafa þeir hvalir tennr ekki stærri en göra má mjök stór knífa-hepti af, Sks. 127.

COMPDS: knífadúkr, knífsblað, knífsegg, knífshepti, knífsoddr, knífsskapt.