letter opener

== English == === Alternative forms === letter-opener === Pronunciation === === Noun === letter opener (plural letter openers) Any of several devices for opening letters, either by breaking wax seals or (as is usually the case today) by cutting open their envelopes. A device shaped like a fixed-blade knife, usually with a blunt edge; the blunt edge does not slice the envelope so much as precisely tear it. Coordinate term: paperknife (sometimes broadly synonymous) The same sort of device but with a sharpened edge, designed to appeal to customers who enjoy a sharpened one (regardless of whether or not it truly outperforms the nonsharp counterpart). A device incorporating a small razor-style blade in the crotch of a U-shaped plastic handle; it slices the envelope while being, like a safety razor, unlikely to cut the user accidentally. ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== Further reading ==== letter opener on Wikipedia.Wikipedia