knot
English
editPronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: nŏt, IPA(key): /nɒt/
- (General American) enPR: nŏt, IPA(key): /nɑt/
Audio (US): (file) - Homophones: not; naught (cot–caught merger)
- Rhymes: -ɒt
Etymology 1
editFrom Middle English knotte, from Old English cnotta, from Proto-West Germanic *knottō, from Proto-Germanic *knuttô, *knudô (“knot”); probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gnod- (“to bind”).
See also Old High German knoto (German Knoten, Dutch knot, Low German Knütte; also Old Norse knútr > Danish knude, Swedish knut, Norwegian knute, Faroese knútur, Icelandic hnútur; also Latin nōdus and its Romance descendants. Doublet of knout, node, and nodus.
- (unit of speed): From the practice of counting the number of knots in the log-line (as it is paid out) in a standard time. Traditionally spaced at one every 1⁄120 of a mile.
Noun
editknot (plural knots)
- A looping of a piece of string or of any other long, flexible material that cannot be untangled without passing one or both ends of the material through its loops.
- Climbers must make sure that all knots are both secure and of types that will not weaken the rope.
- 1911, James George Frazer, chapter V, in Taboo and the Perils of the Soul (The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion; II), third edition, London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, page 310:
- The obstructive tendency attributed to the knot in spiritual matters appears in a Swiss superstition that if, in sewing a corpse into its shroud, you make a knot on the thread, it will hinder the soul of the deceased on its passage to eternity.
- (of hair, etc) A tangled clump.
- The nurse was brushing knots from the protesting child's hair.
- A maze-like pattern.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- Flowers worthy of paradise, which, not nice art / In beds and curious knots, but nature boon / Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain.
- (mathematics) A non-self-intersecting closed curve in (e.g., three-dimensional) space that is an abstraction of a knot (in sense 1 above).
- A knot can be defined as a non-self-intersecting broken line whose endpoints coincide: when such a knot is constrained to lie in a plane, then it is simply a polygon.
- A difficult situation.
- I got into a knot when I inadvertently insulted a policeman.
- 1664, Robert South, A Sermon Preached Before the University at Christ-Church, Oxon:
- A man shall be perplexed with knots, and problems of business, and contrary affairs.
- The whorl left in lumber by the base of a branch growing out of the tree's trunk.
- When preparing to tell stories at a campfire, I like to set aside a pile of pine logs with lots of knots, since they burn brighter and make dramatic pops and cracks.
- Local swelling in a tissue area, especially skin, often due to injury.
- Jeremy had a knot on his head where he had bumped it on the bedframe.
- A tightened and contracted part of a muscle that feels like a hard lump under the skin.
- A protuberant joint in a plant.
- Any knob, lump, swelling, or protuberance.
- 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Elaine”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 185:
- [T]he Queen who sat / With lips severely placid, felt the knot / Climb in her throat, […]
- The swelling of the bulbus glandis in members of the dog family, Canidae.
- The point on which the action of a story depends; the gist of a matter.
- the knot of the tale
- (engineering) A node (point at which the lines of a funicular machine meet from different angular directions)
- A kind of epaulet; a shoulder knot.
- A group of people or things.
- c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
- his ancient knot of dangerous adversarie
- 1822, [Walter Scott], Peveril of the Peak. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC:
- As they sat together in small, separate knots, they discussed doctrinal and metaphysical points of belief.
- 1859, Henry David Thoreau, A Plea for Captain John Brown[1]:
- When, for instance, he saw a knot of the ruffians on the prairie, discussing, of course, the single topic which then occupied their minds, he would, perhaps, take his compass and one of his sons, and proceed to run an imaginary line right through the very spot on which that conclave had assembled, and when he came up to them, he would naturally pause and have some talk with them, learning their news, and, at last, all their plans perfectly; and having thus completed his real survey he would resume his imaginary one, and run on his line till he was out of sight.
- 1962, James Baldwin, Another Country, New York, N. Y.: The Dial Press, published 1963 January, page 4:
- At corners, under the lights, near drugstores, small knots of white, bright, chattering people showed teeth to each other, pawed each other, whistled for taxis, were whirled away in them, vanished through the doors of drugstores or into the blackness of side streets.
- 1968, Bryce Walton, Harpoon Gunner, Thomas Y. Crowell Company, NY, (1968), page 20,
- He pushed through knots of whalemen grouped with their families and friends, and surrounded by piles of luggage.
- A bond of union; a connection; a tie.
- c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
- [I come] to crave a league of amity,
And lastly, to confirm that amity
With nuptial knot […]
- 1646, Joseph Hall, The Balm of Gilead:
- [I]t were very fit, […] to observe carefully this previous betrothing of ourselves, ere we knit the knot that can never be loosed.
- 1795, Joseph Addison, “An Essay on Card-playing”, in Interesting Anecdotes, Memoirs, Allegories, Essays, and Poetical Fragments; Tending to Amuse the Fancy, and Inculcate Morality, page 67:
- Indeed I would advise every ſingle lady, if poſſible, to attend her inamorato, pretty frequently at the card table; […] if he is haſty or pettiſh with any one else in company, she may depend on the ſame fate when once the knot is tied.
- (aviation, nautical) A unit of speed, equal to one nautical mile per hour.
- (aviation) A unit of indicated airspeed, calibrated airspeed, or equivalent airspeed, which varies in its relation to the unit of speed so as to compensate for the effects of different ambient atmospheric conditions on aircraft performance.
- In the early stages of reentry, due to the extremely-rarefied air at these altitudes, the space shuttle flew at only one to a few knots equivalent airspeed, even when its actual speed was many thousands of knots.
- (nautical) A nautical mile.
- Synonym: nm
- (slang) The bulbus glandis.
- (fandom slang) In omegaverse fiction, a bulbus glandis-like structure on the penis of a male alpha, which ties him to an omega during intercourse.
- 2014 July 18, Mark Shrayber, “'Knotting' Is the Weird Fanfic Sex Trend That Cannot Be Unseen”, in Jezebel:
- Since the knot won't release until the alpha has finished and can't be controlled by either party, the sex has to go on until it's done.
- 2017, Taylor Boulware, "Fascination/Frustration: Slash Fandom, Genre, and Queer Uptake", dissertation submitted to the University of Washington, page 155:
- The pair cannot separate until the knot has subsided – anywhere from twenty minutes to hours, depending on the fic.
- 2017, Marianne Gunderson, "What is an omega? Rewriting sex and gender in omegaverse fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Oslo, page 89:
- When John bites down on Sherlock's neck as his knot locks them together, the act which would otherwise be a tool for domination only reinforces the existing emotional bonds they have for each other.
Derived terms
edit- Albright knot
- alpine butterfly knot
- alternating knot
- angler's knot
- arbor knot
- Ashley's stopper knot
- Bachmann knot
- bag knot
- balloon knot
- Bantu knot
- barrel knot
- beer knot
- binding knot
- blood knot
- bowknot
- bowstring knot
- breastknot
- burr knot
- butterfly knot
- Celtic knot
- Clytie knot
- constrictor knot
- Conway knot
- cut the Gordian knot
- cut the knot
- cystine knot
- dolly knot
- electrician's knot
- endknot
- English knot
- Englishman's knot
- equalizer knot
- Euro death-knot
- fat knot
- Fintushel-Stern knot
- fire-escape knot
- fireman's chair knot
- fisherman's knot
- French knot
- garlic knot
- get knotted
- get one's knickers in a knot
- get one's shorts in a knot
- Ghiordes knot
- Gordian knot
- granny knot
- grass knot
- Grecian knot
- grief knot
- handcuff knot
- hobble knot
- honda knot
- human knot
- inknot
- interknot
- jufti knot
- KCAS
- KEAS
- KIAS
- kn
- knotberry
- knot diagram
- knotful
- knot garden
- knotgrass
- knothead
- knothole
- knotless
- knotlike
- knotoid
- knotroot
- knot span
- knottable
- knotter
- knot theory
- knottin
- knottle
- knotty
- knotweed
- knotwork
- knotwort
- kt
- KTAS
- Lissajous knot
- love knot
- manharness knot
- milk knot
- miller's knot
- misknot
- nail knot
- Nubian knot
- olive knot
- overhand knot
- Philadelphia knot
- porter's knot
- Pratt knot
- pretzel knot
- pseudoknot
- Psyche knot
- reef knot
- reknot
- rose knot
- running knot
- sack knot
- schoolboy knot
- seek a knot in a bulrush
- Shelby knot
- shepherd's knot
- shoulder-knot
- shroud knot
- simple knot
- slice knot
- slip knot
- slipknot
- square knot
- square knot
- Stafford knot
- stevedore's knot
- stopper knot
- Suebian knot
- Suevian knot
- surfer's knot
- surgeon's knot
- sword knot
- tape knot
- thief knot
- thumb knot
- tie the knot
- topknot
- trefoil knot
- true-love knot
- true-love-knot
- true lover's knot
- Turkish knot
- underwriter's knot
- unknot
- wall knot
- water knot
- waterman's knot
- weaver's knot
- Windsor knot
Translations
edit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
See also
edit- (whorl in wood): shake
Verb
editknot (third-person singular simple present knots, present participle knotting, simple past and past participle knotted)
- (transitive) To form into a knot; to tie with a knot or knots.
- We knotted the ends of the rope to keep it from unravelling.
- 1833 (date written), Alfred Tennyson, “St. Simeon Stylites”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 56:
- For many weeks about my loins I wore / The rope that haled the buckets from the well, / Twisted as tight as I could knot the noose, / And spake not of it to a single soul, / And spake not of it to a single soul, / Until the ulcer, eating through my skin, / Betray'd my secret penance, so that all / My brethren marvell'd greatly.
- (transitive) To form wrinkles in the forehead, as a sign of concentration, concern, surprise, etc.
- She knotted her brow in concentration while attempting to unravel the tangled strands.
- To unite closely; to knit together.
- a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a VVarre vvith Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:
- The party of the papists in England are become more knotted, both in dependence towards Spain, and amongst themselves.
- (transitive, obsolete, rare) To entangle or perplex; to puzzle.
- (intransitive) To form knots.
- (intransitive) To knit knots for a fringe.
Synonyms
edit- (form into a knot): bind, tie
- (form wrinkles in forehead): knit
- (unite closely): attach, join, put together; see also Thesaurus:join
- (entangle or perplex): baffle, flummox; see also Thesaurus:confuse
Antonyms
editDerived terms
editTranslations
edit
|
|
|
See also
editEtymology 2
editSupposed to be derived from the name of King Canute, with whom the bird was a favourite article of food. See the specific epithet canutus.
Noun
editknot (plural knots or knot)
- One of a variety of shore birds; red-breasted sandpiper (variously Calidris canutus or Tringa canutus).
- c. 1610, Ben Jonson, The Alchemist:
- My foot-boy shall eat pheasants, calvered salmons, / Knots, godwits, lampreys: I myself will have / The beards of barbels, served instead of salads […]
Derived terms
editTranslations
edit
|
See also
editAnagrams
editCzech
editPronunciation
editNoun
editknot m inan
Declension
editFurther reading
editDutch
editPronunciation
editEtymology 1
editFrom Middle Dutch cnudde, Old Dutch *knotto, from Proto-Germanic *knuttan-, *knuttô.
Related to knod, English knot, West Frisian knotte, Middle High German Knotze, German Knoten, Danish knude, Norwegian knute, Swedish knut, etc.
Noun
editknot f or m (plural knotten, diminutive knotje n)
- a knot, bun (of hair), skein
- the top or crest (with messy branches) of certain woody plants, notably willows
- a flax seed box
- (dialect) a marble to play with
- a prank, joke
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editEtymology 2
editFrom the cognate English knot, possibly influenced by Vulgar Latin canutus (“grey-headed", "grizzled”).
Noun
editknot f or m (plural knotten, diminutive knotje n)
- the bird species Calidris canutus (syn. Tringa canutis)
Synonyms
editAnagrams
editIndonesian
editEtymology
editInternationalism, borrowed from English knot (“a unit of speed”, literally “a looping of a piece of string”), from Middle English knotte, from Old English cnotta, from Proto-West Germanic *knottō, from Proto-Germanic *knuttô, *knudô (“knot”); probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gnod- (“to bind”).
Noun
editknot (first-person possessive knotku, second-person possessive knotmu, third-person possessive knotnya)
- knot:
- (aviation, nautical) a unit of speed, equal to one nautical mile per hour.
- (aviation) a unit of indicated airspeed, calibrated airspeed, or equivalent airspeed, which varies in its relation to the unit of speed so as to compensate for the effects of different ambient atmospheric conditions on aircraft performance.
- (nautical) a nautical mile.
Further reading
edit- “knot” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.
Middle English
editNoun
editknot
- Alternative form of knotte
Polish
editEtymology
editBorrowed from Middle High German knotze.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editknot m inan (diminutive knotek or knocik)
- wick (of a candle)
Declension
editFurther reading
editSwedish
editNoun
editknot c
Declension
editNoun
editknot n
Declension
editnominative | genitive | ||
---|---|---|---|
singular | indefinite | knot | knots |
definite | knotet | knotets | |
plural | indefinite | — | — |
definite | — | — |
References
editUpper Sorbian
editEtymology
editInherited from Proto-Slavic *krъ̀tъ.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editknot m animal
- mole, talpid (Talpidae)
- (derogatory) idiot
Declension
editReferences
edit- “knot” in Soblex
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English terms with homophones
- Rhymes:English/ɒt
- Rhymes:English/ɒt/1 syllable
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English doublets
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Mathematics
- en:Curves
- en:Engineering
- en:Aviation
- en:Nautical
- English slang
- English fandom slang
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with rare senses
- English intransitive verbs
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- English indeclinable nouns
- en:Animal body parts
- en:Genitalia
- en:Omegaverse
- en:Sexuality
- en:Scolopacids
- en:Units of measure
- Czech terms with IPA pronunciation
- Czech lemmas
- Czech nouns
- Czech masculine nouns
- Czech inanimate nouns
- Czech masculine inanimate nouns
- Czech hard masculine inanimate nouns
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms inherited from Middle Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Middle Dutch
- Dutch terms inherited from Old Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Old Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch nouns
- Dutch nouns with plural in -en
- Dutch feminine nouns
- Dutch masculine nouns
- Dutch nouns with multiple genders
- Dutch dialectal terms
- Dutch terms derived from Vulgar Latin
- Indonesian internationalisms
- Indonesian terms borrowed from English
- Indonesian terms derived from English
- Indonesian terms derived from Middle English
- Indonesian terms derived from Old English
- Indonesian terms derived from Proto-West Germanic
- Indonesian terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Indonesian terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- Indonesian lemmas
- Indonesian nouns
- Indonesian uncountable nouns
- id:Aviation
- id:Nautical
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns
- Polish terms borrowed from Middle High German
- Polish terms derived from Middle High German
- Polish 1-syllable words
- Polish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Polish terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:Polish/ɔt
- Rhymes:Polish/ɔt/1 syllable
- Polish lemmas
- Polish nouns
- Polish masculine nouns
- Polish inanimate nouns
- Swedish lemmas
- Swedish nouns
- Swedish common-gender nouns
- Swedish neuter nouns
- Upper Sorbian terms inherited from Proto-Slavic
- Upper Sorbian terms derived from Proto-Slavic
- Upper Sorbian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Upper Sorbian/ɔt
- Rhymes:Upper Sorbian/ɔt/1 syllable
- Upper Sorbian lemmas
- Upper Sorbian nouns
- Upper Sorbian masculine nouns
- Upper Sorbian animal nouns
- Upper Sorbian derogatory terms
- Upper Sorbian masculine animal nouns
- Upper Sorbian masculine hard stem nouns
- hsb:Mammals
- hsb:Soricomorphs