knit
Americanverb (used with object)
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Knitting. to make (a garment, fabric, etc.) by interlocking loops of one or more yarns either by hand with knitting needles or by machine.
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to join closely and firmly, as members or parts (often followed bytogether ).
The tragedy knitted the family closer together.
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to contract into folds or wrinkles.
to knit the brow.
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to form or create from diverse sources or elements.
She knitted her play from old folk tales and family anecdotes.
verb (used without object)
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to become closely and firmly joined together; grow together, as broken bones do.
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to contract into folds or wrinkles, as the brow.
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to become closely and intimately united.
noun
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fabric produced by knitting.
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a knitted garment.
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a style or type of knitting.
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the basic stitch in knitting, formed by pulling a loop of the working yarn forward through an existing stitch and then slipping that stitch off the needle.
verb
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to make (a garment, etc) by looping and entwining (yarn, esp wool) by hand by means of long eyeless needles ( knitting needles ) or by machine ( knitting machine )
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to join or be joined together closely
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to draw (the brows) together or (of the brows) to come together, as in frowning or concentrating
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(of a broken bone) to join together; heal
noun
Other Word Forms
- knittable adjective
- knitter noun
- preknit verb (used with object)preknit, preknitted, preknitting
- reknit verbreknit, reknitted, reknitting
Etymology
Origin of knit
before 1000; Middle English knitte, Old English cnyttan to tie; cognate with German knütten; knot 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, the Prada show opened with cozy knit sweaters and multi-coloured scarves, only for garments to be ripped open, exposed and distressed as the catwalk continued.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
She’s dedicated to keeping her community closely knit and protected.
From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026
Aleys acknowledges the contentment of the Beguines, understanding that their communal labors knit their “hopes, their labor, even their disagreements” as “strands in a single weave.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026
"A very deep profound tragedy here in the north Belfast area and especially for those in the Filipino community who are close knit."
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
Most of the small children on the barge wore knit caps, probably made by their mothers.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
