knot

knot
knot1
noun
1》 a fastening made by looping a piece of string, rope, etc. on itself and tightening it.
    ↘a tangled mass in hair, wool, etc.
    ↘an ornamental ribbon.
2》 a protuberance or node in a stem, branch, or root.
    ↘a hard mass in wood at the intersection of a trunk with a branch.
    ↘a hard lump of bodily tissue.
3》 a small group of people.
4》 a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used of ships, aircraft, or winds.
    ↘chiefly historical a length marked by knots on a log line, as a measure of speed.
verb (knots, knotting, knotted)
1》 fasten with a knot.
    ↘make (a carpet) with knots.
    ↘tangle.
2》 cause (a muscle) to become tense and hard.
    ↘(of the stomach) tighten as a result of tension.
Phrases
at a rate of knots Brit. informal very fast.
get knotted Brit. informal go away!
tie someone (up) in knots informal confuse someone completely.
tie the knot informal get married.
Derivatives
knotless adjective
knotter noun
Word History
Knot is first recorded in Old English in the sense 'a fastening made in string or rope'. The link with the later (17th-century) usage as a unit of speed for ships and aircraft is made through the knotted line of the nautical device called a log (see log1). The number of knots, or length of line, that was run out in a certain time gave an estimate of the vessel's speed. There is no foundation for the attractive story that relates it to King Canute (Danish Knut), who tried to stop the tide.
————————
knot2
noun (plural same or knots) a short-billed northern sandpiper. [Calidris canutus.]
Origin
ME: of unknown origin.

English new terms dictionary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР
Synonyms:
, / , , / , , / , / , , , , , , , , / , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Knot — (n[o^]t), n. [OE. knot, knotte, AS. cnotta; akin to D. knot, OHG. chnodo, chnoto, G. knoten, Icel. kn[=u]tr, Sw. knut, Dan. knude, and perh. to L. nodus. Cf. {Knout}, {Knit}.] 1. (a) A fastening together of the parts or ends of one or more… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • knot — [nɒt ǁ nɑːt] noun 1. tie the knot JOURNALISM if two companies tie the knot, they join and become one company; = MERGE: • Banks across the country tied the knot as a way to cut costs and boost earnings. 2. [countable] a measurement of the speed at …   Financial and business terms

  • knot — I {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}rz. mos IIIb, Mc. knocie {{/stl 8}}{{stl 7}} mały chłopiec, szkrab, malec : {{/stl 7}}{{stl 10}}Był tam taki mały knot. {{/stl 10}}{{stl 20}} {{/stl 20}} {{stl 20}} {{/stl 20}}knot II {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}rz. mnż I, D. a, Mc …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • knot — knot1 [nät] n. [ME knotte < OE cnotta, akin to Du knot, Swed knut, Ger knoten < IE * gn eu t < base * gen , to press together > KNOB, KNEAD] 1. a lump or knob in a thread, cord, etc., formed by passing one free end through a loop and… …   English World dictionary

  • Knot — Knot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Knotted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Knotting}.] 1. To tie in or with, or form into, a knot or knots; to form a knot on, as a rope; to entangle. Knotted curls. Drayton. [1913 Webster] As tight as I could knot the noose. Tennyson …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • knot — ► NOUN 1) a fastening made by looping a piece of string, rope, etc. on itself and tightening it. 2) a tangled mass in hair, wool, etc. 3) a protuberance in a stem, branch, or root. 4) a hard mass in wood at the intersection of a trunk with a… …   English terms dictionary

  • Knot — Knot, v. i. 1. To form knots or joints, as in a cord, a plant, etc.; to become entangled. [1913 Webster] Cut hay when it begins to knot. Mortimer. [1913 Webster] 2. To knit knots for fringe or trimming. [1913 Webster] 3. To copulate; said of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • knot — [n1] bow, loop bond, braid, bunch, coil, connection, contortion, entanglement, gnarl, helix, hitch, joint, kink, ligament, ligature, link, mat, nexus, perplexity, rosette, screw, snag, snarl, spiral, splice, tangle, tie, twirl, twist, vinculum,… …   New thesaurus

  • knot|ty — «NOT ee», adjective, ti|er, ti|est. 1. full of knots: »knotty wood. ... the knotty side of an old Pollarel tree (Keats). A modern kitchen with knotty pine cabinets and exhaust fans (New York Times). SYNONYM(S): gnarled …   Useful english dictionary

  • knot — knot. См. узел. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Knot — (Kanutsvogel), so v.w. Strandläufer …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”