Adjacent Words

Knot definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

KNOT, n. not. [L.nodus; probably connected with knit, but perhaps from swelling or gathering.]
1. The complication of threads made by knitting; a tie; union of cords by interweaving; as a knot difficult to be untied.
2. Any figure, the lines of which frequently intersect each other; as a knot in gardening.
In beds and curious knots.
3. A bond of association or union; as the nuptial knot.
4. The part of a tree where a branch shoots.
5. The protuberant joint of a plant.
6. A cluster; a collection; a group; as a knot of ladies; a knot of figures in painting.
7. Difficulty; intricacy; something not easily solved.
8. Any intrigue or difficult perplexity of affairs.
9. A bird of the genus Tringa.
10. An epaulet.
11. In seamen's language, a division of the logline, which answers to half a minute, as a mile does to an hour, or it is the hundred and twentieth part of a mile. Hence, when a ship goes eight miles an hour, she is said to go eight knots.
KNOT, v.t. not. To complicate or tie in a knot or knots; to form a knot.
1. To entangle; to perplex.
2. To unite closely.
KNOT, v.i. not. To form knots or joints, as in plants.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a tight cluster of people or things; "a small knot of women listened to his sermon"; "the bird had a knot of feathers forming a crest"
2: any of various fastenings formed by looping and tying a rope (or cord) upon itself or to another rope or to another object
3: a hard cross-grained round piece of wood in a board where a branch emerged; "the saw buckled when it hit a knot"
4: something twisted and tight and swollen; "their muscles stood out in knots"; "the old man's fists were two great gnarls"; "his stomach was in knots" [syn: knot, gnarl]
5: a unit of length used in navigation; exactly 1,852 meters; historically based on the distance spanned by one minute of arc in latitude [syn: nautical mile, mile, mi, naut mi, knot, international nautical mile, air mile]
6: soft lump or unevenness in a yarn; either an imperfection or created by design [syn: slub, knot, burl]
7: a sandpiper that breeds in the Arctic and winters in the southern hemisphere [syn: knot, greyback, grayback, Calidris canutus] v
1: make into knots; make knots out of; "She knotted her fingers"
2: tie or fasten into a knot; "knot the shoelaces"
3: tangle or complicate; "a ravelled story" [syn: ravel, tangle, knot] [ant: ravel, ravel out, unknot, unpick, unravel, unscramble, untangle]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English cnotta; akin to Old High German knoto knot Date: before 12th century 1. a. an interlacement of the parts of one or more flexible bodies forming a lump or knob (as for fastening or tying together) b. the lump or knob so formed c. a tight constriction or the sense of constriction <my stomach was all in knots> 2. something hard to solve ; problem <a matter full of legal knots> 3. a bond of union; especially the marriage bond 4. a. a protuberant lump or swelling in tissue <a knot in a gland> b. the base of a woody branch enclosed in the stem from which it arises; also its section in lumber 5. a cluster of persons or things ; group 6. an ornamental bow of ribbon ; cockade 7. a. a division of the log's line serving to measure a ship's speed b. (1) one nautical mile per hour (2) one nautical mile — not used technically 8. a closed curve in three-dimensional space II. verb (knotted; knotting) Date: 1547 transitive verb 1. to tie in or with a knot ; form knots in 2. to unite closely or intricately ; entangle 3. tie 4b <knotted the score> intransitive verb to form knots • knotter noun III. noun (plural knots or knot) Etymology: Middle English knott Date: 15th century either of two sandpipers (Calidris canutus and C. tenuirostris) that breed in the Arctic and winter in temperate or warm parts of the New and Old World

NOAA Weather Glossary

A measure of speed. It is one nautical mile per hour (1.15mph).  A nautical mile is one minute of one degree of latitude.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a an intertwining of a rope, string, tress of hair, etc., with another, itself, or something else to join or fasten together. b a set method of tying a knot (a reef knot). c a ribbon etc. tied as an ornament and worn on a dress etc. d a tangle in hair, knitting, etc. 2 a a unit of a ship's or aircraft's speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour (see nautical mile). b a division marked by knots on a log-line, as a measure of speed. c colloq. a nautical mile. 3 (usu. foll. by of) a group or cluster (a small knot of journalists at the gate). 4 something forming or maintaining a union; a bond or tie, esp. of wedlock. 5 a hard lump of tissue in an animal or human body. 6 a a knob or protuberance in a stem, branch, or root. b a hard mass formed in a tree trunk at the intersection with a branch. c a round cross-grained piece in timber where a branch has been cut through. d a node on the stem of a plant. 7 a difficulty; a problem. 8 a central point in a problem or the plot of a story etc. 9 (in full porter's knot) Brit. hist. a double shoulder-pad and forehead-loop used for carrying loads. --v. (knotted, knotting) 1 tr. tie (a string etc.) in a knot. 2 tr. entangle. 3 tr. knit (the brows). 4 tr. unite closely or intricately (knotted together in intrigue). 5 a intr. make knots for fringing. b tr. make (a fringe) with knots. Phrases and idioms: at a rate of knots colloq. very fast. get knotted! sl. an expression of disbelief, annoyance, etc. knot-garden an intricately designed formal garden. knot-hole a hole in a piece of timber where a knot has fallen out (sense 6). tie in knots colloq. baffle or confuse completely. Derivatives: knotless adj. knotter n. knotting n. (esp. in sense 5 of v.). Etymology: OE cnotta f. WG 2. n. a small sandpiper, Calidris canutus. Etymology: ME: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Knot Knot, n. [OE. knot, knotte, AS. cnotta; akin to D. knot, OHG. chnodo, chnoto, G. knoten, Icel. kn?tr, Sw. knut, Dan. knude, and perh. to L. nodus. Cf. Knout, Knit.] 1. (a) A fastening together of the pars or ends of one or more threads, cords, ropes, etc., by any one of various ways of tying or entangling. (b) A lump or loop formed in a thread, cord, rope. etc., as at the end, by tying or interweaving it upon itself. (c) An ornamental tie, as of a ribbon. Note: The names of knots vary according to the manner of their making, or the use for which they are intended; as, dowknot, reef knot, stopper knot, diamond knot, etc. 2. A bond of union; a connection; a tie. ``With nuptial knot.'' --Shak. Ere we knit the knot that can never be loosed. --Bp. Hall. 3. Something not easily solved; an intricacy; a difficulty; a perplexity; a problem. Knots worthy of solution. --Cowper. A man shall be perplexed with knots, and problems of business, and contrary affairs. --South. 4. A figure the lines of which are interlaced or intricately interwoven, as in embroidery, gardening, etc. ``Garden knots.'' --Bacon. 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. --Milton. 5. A cluster of persons or things; a collection; a group; a hand; a clique; as, a knot of politicians. ``Knots of talk.'' --Tennyson. His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries. --Shak. Palms in cluster, knots of Paradise. --Tennyson. As they sat together in small, separate knots, they discussed doctrinal and metaphysical points of belief. --Sir W. Scott. 6. A portion of a branch of a tree that forms a mass of woody fiber running at an angle with the grain of the main stock and making a hard place in the timber. A loose knot is generally the remains of a dead branch of a tree covered by later woody growth. 7. A knob, lump, swelling, or protuberance. With lips serenely placid, felt the knot Climb in her throat. --Tennyson. 8. A protuberant joint in a plant. 9. The point on which the action of a story depends; the gist of a matter. [Obs.] I shoulde to the knotte condescend, And maken of her walking soon an end. --Chaucer. 10. (Mech.) See Node. 11. (Naut.) (a) A division of the log line, serving to measure the rate of the vessel's motion. Each knot on the line bears the same proportion to a mile that thirty seconds do to an hour. The number of knots which run off from the reel in half a minute, therefore, shows the number of miles the vessel sails in an hour. Hence: (b) A nautical mile, or 6080.27 feet; as, when a ship goes eight miles an hour, her speed is said to be eight knots. 12. A kind of epaulet. See Shoulder knot. 13. (Zo["o]l.) A sandpiper (Tringa canutus), found in the northern parts of all the continents, in summer. It is grayish or ashy above, with the rump and upper tail coverts white, barred with dusky. The lower parts are pale brown, with the flanks and under tail coverts white. When fat it is prized by epicures. Called also dunne. Note: The name is said to be derived from King Canute, this bird being a favorite article of food with him. The knot that called was Canutus' bird of old, Of that great king of Danes his name that still doth hold, His appetite to please that far and near was sought. --Drayton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Knot Knot, v. i. 1. To form knots or joints, as in a cord, a plant, etc.; to become entangled. Cut hay when it begins to knot. --Mortimer. 2. To knit knots for fringe or trimming. 3. To copulate; -- said of toads. [R.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 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. As tight as I could knot the noose. --Tennyson. 2. To unite closely; to knit together. --Bacon. 3. To entangle or perplex; to puzzle. [Obs. or R.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Node Node, n. [L. nodus; perh. akin to E. knot. Cf. Noose, Nowed.] 1. A knot, a knob; a protuberance; a swelling. 2. Specifically: (a) (Astron.) One of the two points where the orbit of a planet, or comet, intersects the ecliptic, or the orbit of a satellite intersects the plane of the orbit of its primary. (b) (Bot.) The joint of a stem, or the part where a leaf or several leaves are inserted. (c) (Dialing) A hole in the gnomon of a dial, through which passes the ray of light which marks the hour of the day, the parallels of the sun's declination, his place in the ecliptic, etc. (d) (Geom.) The point at which a curve crosses itself, being a double point of the curve. See Crunode, and Acnode. (e) (Mech.) The point at which the lines of a funicular machine meet from different angular directions; -- called also knot. --W. R. Johnson. (f) (poet.) The knot, intrigue, or plot of a piece. (g) (Med.) A hard concretion or incrustation which forms upon bones attacked with rheumatism, gout, or syphilis; sometimes also, a swelling in the neighborhood of a joint. --Dunglison. (h) (Mus) One of the fixed points of a sonorous string, when it vibrates by aliquot parts, and produces the harmonic tones; nodal line or point. (i) (Zo["o]l.) A swelling. Ascending node (Astron.), the node at which the body is passing northerly, marked with the symbol [astascending], called the Dragon's head. Called also northern node. Descending node, the node at which the body is moving southwardly, marked thus [astdescending], called Dragon's tail. Line of nodes, a straight line joining the two nodes of an orbit.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(knots, knotting, knotted) 1. If you tie a knot in a piece of string, rope, cloth, or other material, you pass one end or part of it through a loop and pull it tight. One lace had broken and been tied in a knot. N-COUNT 2. If you knot a piece of string, rope, cloth, or other material, you pass one end or part of it through a loop and pull it tight. He knotted the laces securely together... He knotted the bandanna around his neck. ...a knotted rope. VERB: V n with together, V n, V-ed 3. If you feel a knot in your stomach, you get an uncomfortable tight feeling in your stomach, usually because you are afraid or excited. There was a knot of tension in his stomach. N-COUNT: oft N of n 4. If your stomach knots or if something knots it, it feels tight because you are afraid or excited. I felt my stomach knot with apprehension... The old dread knotted her stomach. VERB: V, V n 5. If part of your face or your muscles knot, they become tense, usually because you are worried or angry. His forehead knotted in a frown. ...his knotted muscles. VERB: V, V-ed 6. A knot in a piece of wood is a small hard area where a branch grew. N-COUNT 7. A knot is a unit of speed. The speed of ships, aircraft, and winds is measured in knots. They travel at speeds of up to 30 knots. N-COUNT: usu num N 8. If you tie yourself in knots, you get very confused and anxious. (INFORMAL) The press agent tied himself in knots trying to apologise. PHRASE: V inflects 9. If you say that two people tie the knot, you mean that they get married. (INFORMAL) Len tied the knot with Kate five years ago. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Entanglement, complication. 2. Tie, connection, bond of union. 3. Joint, node, knag. 4. Tuft, bunch. 5. Group, band, clique, gang, crew, squad, cluster, set, pack. 6. Nautical mile. II. v. a. Entangle, tie, complicate.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A crew, gang, or fraternity. He has tied a knot with his tongue, that he cannot untie with his teeth: i.e. he is married.

Moby Thesaurus

Blackwall hitch, Chinese puzzle, Flemish knot, French shroud knot, German knot, Gordian knot, Matthew Walker knot, Rube Goldberg contraption, Windsor knot, accouple, accumulate, adhesive, affix, affixation, agglutinate, aggregation, air speed, amass, amount to, anamorphism, anamorphosis, anchor knot, annexation, articulate, assemblage, assemble, associate, asymmetry, attach, attachment, baffling problem, balance, ball, ball up, balloon, band, batch, becket knot, bend, bilge, bind, binding, bladder, blain, bleb, blister, blob, block, body, boll, bolus, bond, boss, bow, bowknot, bowline, bracket, braid, brain twister, break even, bridge, bridge over, bubble, buckle, bulb, bulbil, bulblet, bulge, bulla, bump, bun, bunch, burl, button, cahot, cake, can of worms, celerity, cement, chain, chignon, chine, clabber, clap together, clasping, clinch, clot, clump, cluster, coagulate, cocker, cockle, coil, collect, collection, combine, come to, come up to, company, complex, complicate, comprise, concatenate, concrete, concretion, condyle, confound, confuse, congeal, conglobulate, conglomerate, conglomeration, congregation, conjoin, conjugate, connect, contort, contortion, convex, copse, copulate, correspond, corrugate, couple, cover, crease, crimp, crimple, crinkle, crook, crookedness, crop, crossword puzzle, crowd, crumple, crux, cue, curd, curdle, detorsion, deviation, diamond knot, dilemma, dispatch, disproportion, distort, distortion, ditto, double hitch, dowel, draw, ear, ellipsoid, embrace, embrangle, encompass, enigma, enigmatic question, entangle, even, even off, expedition, fasten, fastener, fastening, fastness, fix, flange, flap, flat knot, flight, flit, floorer, flurry, foul up, furrow, gall, gang, gather, gathering, gel, gelatinate, gelatinize, geoid, girding, globe, globelet, globoid, globule, glomerulus, glue, gnarl, gob, gobbet, granny knot, ground speed, group, grouping, groupment, grove, half crown, half hitch, handle, hassock, haste, hawser bend, hawser fastening, heaving-line bend, hill, hooking, hump, hunch, hurry, imbalance, implicate, include, incrassate, inside clinch, inspissate, instantaneousness, involve, irregularity, jell, jellify, jelly, jigsaw puzzle, jog, joggle, join, jungle, keep pace with, knit, knob, knots, knotty point, knur, knurl, labyrinth, lanyard knot, lash, lashing, lay together, league, ligament, ligation, ligature, lightning speed, link, lip, loop, lopper, lopsidedness, lot, louse up, lump, lump together, manrope knot, marling hitch, marry, marshal, mass, match, match up with, maze, meander, measure up to, merge, mesh, mesh knot, mess, mess up, miles per hour, mind-boggler, mix up, mobilize, mole, morass, mountain, muck up, muddle, mystery, netting knot, nevus, nexus, node, nodus, nonplus, nub, nubbin, nubble, nut to crack, oblate spheroid, open hand knot, orb, orbit, orblet, outside clinch, oxymoron, pair, papilloma, paradox, parallel, peg, pellet, perplex, perplexed question, perplexity, piece together, pigtail, plait, pons asinorum, poser, precipitation, problem, prolate spheroid, prolonge knot, promptitude, promptness, pucker, purse, put together, puzzle, puzzlement, puzzler, quandary, question, question mark, queue, quickness, quirk, ramify, rapidity, rattail, ravel, reach, reef knot, reeving-line bend, rib, ridge, rimple, ring, ripple, rival, roll into one, rolling hitches, rondure, rope-yarn knot, round pace, round seizing, rpm, ruck, ruckle, rumple, run abreast, run to, running knot, rush, screw, screw up, secure, set, sheepshank, shirr, shock, shock wave, shoulder, shroud knot, single knot, sixty-four dollar question, skein, slew, slide knot, slipknot, snafu, snake pit, snappiness, snarl, snarl up, solder, solid, solid body, sonic barrier, sonic boom, sound barrier, span, speed, speed of sound, speediness, sphere, spheroid, spherule, spine, splice, spring, square knot, stack up with, stick together, sticker, sticking, stook, stud, stumper, style, swift rate, swiftness, tab, tail, take in, tangle, tangled skein, tape, teaser, tether, thick, thicken, thicket, throng, tie, tieing, timber knot, topknot, torsion, tortuosity, touch, tough proposition, tubercle, tubercule, tuft, turn, turn awry, tussock, twist, unify, unite, unsymmetry, velocity, verruca, vesicle, vexed question, vinculum, wale, wall knot, warp, wart, web, webwork, weld, welt, wheels within wheels, why, wilderness, wimple, wisp, wrench, wrest, wring, wrinkle, writhe, yoke, zipping