In common usage, abutter knife may refer to any non-serratedtable knife designed with a dull edge and rounded point; formalcutlery patterns make a distinction between such a place knife (or table knife) and a butter knife. In this usage, a butter knife (ormaster butter knife) is a sharp-pointed, dull-edged knife, often with asabre shape, used only to serve out pats ofbutter from a centralbutter dish to individual diners' plates. Master butter knives are not used to spread the butter ontobread: this would contaminate the butter remaining in the butter dish when the next pat of butter was served. Rather, diners at the breakfast, the luncheon, and the informal dinner table use an individual butter knife to apply butter to their bread.[1] Individual butter knives have a round point, so as not to tear the bread, and are sometimes termedbutter spreaders. If no butter spreaders are provided, adinner knife may be used as an alternative.[2]