knot

¹

[ not ]

noun

1. an interlacing, twining, looping, etc., of a cord, rope, or the like, drawn tight into a knob or lump, for fastening, binding, or connecting two cords together or a cord to something else.
2. a piece of ribbon or similar material tied or folded upon itself and used or worn as an ornament.
3. a group or cluster of persons or things:

   a knot of spectators.

   Synonyms: crowd, gang, crew, band, company

4. the hard, cross-grained mass of wood at the place where a branch joins the trunk of a tree.
5. a part of this mass showing in a piece of lumber, wood panel, etc.
6. Anatomy, Zoology. a protuberance or swelling on or in a part or process, as in a muscle.
7. a protuberance in the tissue of a plant; an excrescence on a stem, branch, or root; a node or joint in a stem, especially when of swollen form.

   Synonyms: gnarl, knob, lump

8. any of various fungal diseases of trees characterized by the formation of an excrescence, knob, or gnarl.
9. an involved, intricate, or difficult matter; complicated problem.

   Synonyms: conundrum, puzzle, perplexity

10. Nautical.
    1. a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile or about 1.15 statute miles per hour.
    2. a unit of 47 feet 3 inches (13.79 meters) on a logline, marked off by knots.
    3. a nautical mile.
11. a bond or tie:

    the knot of matrimony.

12. Also called joint, node. Mathematics. in interpolation, one of the points at which the values of a function are assigned.

verb (used with object)

, knot·ted, knot·ting.

1. to tie in a knot; form a knot in.
2. to secure or fasten by a knot.
3. to form protuberances, bosses, or knobs in; make knotty.

verb (used without object)

, knot·ted, knot·ting.

1. to become tied or tangled in a knot.
2. to form knots or joints.

knot

²

[ not ]

noun

1. either of two large sandpipers, Calidris canutus or C. tenuirostris, that breed in the Arctic and winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

knot

¹

/ nɒt /

noun

1. any of various fastenings formed by looping and tying a piece of rope, cord, etc, in upon itself, to another piece of rope, or to another object
2. a prescribed method of tying a particular knot
3. a tangle, as in hair or string
4. a decorative bow or fastening, as of ribbon or braid
5. a small cluster or huddled group
6. a tie or bond

   the marriage knot

7. a difficult problem
8. a protuberance or lump of plant tissues, such as that occurring on the trunks of certain trees
9. 1. a hard mass of wood at the point where a branch joins the trunk of a tree
   2. a cross section of this, usually roundish and cross-grained, visible in a piece of timber
10. a sensation of constriction, caused by tension or nervousness

    his stomach was tying itself in knots

11. 1. pathol a lump of vessels or fibres formed in a part, as in a muscle
    2. anatomy a protuberance on an organ or part
12. a unit of speed used by nautical vessels and aircraft, being one nautical mile (about 1.15 statute miles or 1.85 km) per hour
13. one of a number of equally spaced knots on a log line used to indicate the speed of a ship in nautical miles per hour
14. at a rate of knots
    very fast
15. tie someone in knots
    to completely perplex or confuse someone
16. tie the knot informal.
    to get married

verb

1. tr to tie or fasten in a knot
2. to form or cause to form into a knot
3. tr to ravel or entangle or become ravelled or entangled
4. tr to make (an article or a design) by tying thread in an interlaced pattern of ornamental knots, as in macramé

knot

²

/ nɒt /

noun

1. a small northern sandpiper, Calidris canutus, with a short bill and grey plumage

Derived Forms

• ˈknotter, noun
• ˈknotˌlike, adjective
• ˈknotless, adjective

Other Words From

• knot·less adjective
• knot·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of knot¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun knot(t)e, cnotte, cnot(e), Old English cnotta; cognate with Dutch knot, German knoten “to knit ”; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of knot²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; origin unknown

Word History and Origins

Origin of knot¹

Old English cnotta; related to Old High German knoto, Old Norse knūtr

Origin of knot²

C15: of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. tie the knot, Informal. to marry:

   They will tie the knot in November.

More idioms and phrases containing knot

see tie into knots ; tie the knot .

Example Sentences

Cotton and leather boot laces are simply no match for paracord’s breaking strength, high knot strength, or durability, then or now.

From Popular-Science

Vortex helicity has long been defined as the total number of links and knots in a vortex or in a connected group of vortices.

From Quanta Magazine

If such a fluid existed, then no matter what changes a vortex or group of linked vortices in the fluid went through, the number of links and knots would add up to the same number.

From Quanta Magazine

In the season 7 finale, George and Susan were finally tying the knot and George’s wallet was taking a beating.

From No Straight News

The rules predict only the relative strength of each knot — that is, whether one knot is stronger than another.

From Science News For Students

There is something irrevocable-feeling about couples tying the knot on the steps of the county courthouse.

From The Daily Beast

Every day before leaving home, Sara stands before the mirror and tightens the knot on her scarf.

From The Daily Beast

The most famous people in the world tied the knot secretly over the weekend.

From The Daily Beast

The moment he was finally able to loop a knot by himself was a milestone, his first step to becoming a man.

From The Daily Beast

Star-studded guests arrived in fancy cars, and music and cheers rose above the castle walls as Kimye tied the knot.

From The Daily Beast

At the head they insert a bamboo knot, with its point well sharpened into two edges.

From Project Gutenberg

This is called the "Investiture of the Top-knot," and is always attended by solemn ceremonies.

From Project Gutenberg

In accordance with that statement, he had decided that on the next day his son should be formally "invested" with the top-knot.

From Project Gutenberg

He went down the road, collected his little knot of listeners, and began the Song of the Girl.

From Project Gutenberg

I asked sharply, and MacRae flung the same query over one shoulder as he fumbled at the tight-drawn latigo-knot.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• knit