kn -abbr
- knot
knack ['nak] -n
- a clever trick or stratagem
- a clever way of doing something
- a special ready capacity that is hard to analyze or teach
- an ingenious device
- toy, knickknack
knack·er ['na-kər] -n
- a buyer of worn-out domestic animals or their carcasses for use esp. as animal food or fertilizer
- a buyer of old structures for their constituent materials
knack·ered ['na-kərd] -adj
- tired, exhausted
knackwurst ['näk-(,)wərst also -,vu̇(r)st, sometimes -,vu̇sht] -n
(variant of knockwurst)
- a short thick heavily seasoned sausage
knap ['nap] -n
- a crest of a hill : summit
- a small hill
- rap
- to break with a quick blow
- to shape (as flints) by breaking off pieces
- snap, crop
- chatter
knap·sack ['nap-,sak] -n, adj
- a bag (as of canvas or nylon) strapped on the back and used for carrying supplies or personal belongings
knap·weed [-,wēd] -n
- any of various weedy centaureas
- a widely naturalized European perennial ( Centaurea nigra) with tough wiry stems and knobby heads of purple flowers
knave ['nāv] -n
- a boy servant
- a male servant
- a man of humble birth or position
- a tricky deceitful fellow
- jack
knav·ery ['nā-və-rē, 'nāv-rē] -n
- rascality
- a roguish or mischievous act
- roguish mischief
knav·ish ['nā-vish] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or characteristic of a knave
- dishonest
knead ['nēd] -vt, adj, n
- to work and press into a mass with or as if with the hands
- to manipulate or massage with a kneading motion
- knead ed sore neck muscles
- to form or shape by or as if by kneading
knee ['nē] -n, adj
- a joint in the middle part of the human leg that is the articulation between the femur, tibia, and patella
- the part of the leg that includes this joint
- the joint in the hind leg of a four-footed vertebrate that corresponds to the human knee
- the carpal joint of the foreleg of a four-footed vertebrate
- the tarsal joint of a bird
- the joint between the femur and tibia of an insect
- : something resembling the human knee: as
- a piece of timber naturally or artificially bent for use in supporting structures coming together at an angle (as the deck beams of a ship)
- a rounded or conical process rising from the roots of various swamp-growing trees
- the part of a garment covering the knee
- a blow with the bent knee
- to bend the knee to
- to strike with the knee
knee breeches -n pl
- breech
knee·cap ['nē-,kap] -n
- patella
knee·cap·ping ['nē-,ka-piŋ] -n, vt
- the terroristic act or practice of maiming a person's knees (as by gunshot)
kneedeep [-'dēp] -adj
- sunk to the knees
- deeply engaged or occupied
- knee-high
kneehigh [-'hī] -adj, n
- rising or reaching upward to the knees
knee·hole [-,hōl] -n
- an open space (as under a desk) for the knees
kneejerk ['nē-,jərk, -'jərk] -adj
- readily predictable : automatic
- reacting in a readily predictable way
knee jerk -n
- an involuntary forward kick produced by a light blow on the tendon below the patella
kneel ['nēl] -vi
- to bend the knee : fall or rest on the knees
kneel·er ['nē-lər] -n
- one that kneels
- something (as a cushion or board) to kneel on
knee·pan ['nē-,pan] -n
- patella
kneeslap·per [-,sla-pər] -n
- an extremely funny joke, line, or story
knee·sock [-,säk] -n
- a knee-high sock
knell ['nel] -vb
- to summon or announce by or as if by a knell
- to ring esp. for a death, funeral, or disaster : toll
- to sound in an ominous manner or with an ominous effect
- a stroke or sound of a bell esp. when rung slowly (as for a death, funeral, or disaster)
- an indication of the end or the failure of something
- sounded the death knell for our hopes
knew ['nō] -vb, adj, n
(variant of know)
- to perceive directly : have direct cognition of
- to have understanding of
- importance of know ing oneself
- to recognize the nature of : discern
- to recognize as being the same as something previously known
- to be acquainted or familiar with
- to have experience of
- to be aware of the truth or factuality of : be convinced or certain of
- to have a practical understanding of
- to have sexual intercourse with
- to have knowledge
- to be or become cognizant sometimes used interjectionally with you esp. as a filler in informal speech
- knowledge
knick·er·bock·er ['ni-kə(r)-,bä-kər] -n
- a descendant of the early Dutch settlers of New York
- a native or resident of the city or state of New York used as a nickname
- knickers
knick·ers ['ni-kərz] -n pl
- loose-fitting short pants gathered at the knee
- underpants
knick·knack ['nik-,nak] -n
- a small trivial article usu. intended for ornament
knife ['nīf] -n, adj
- a cutting instrument consisting of a sharp blade fastened to a handle
- a weapon resembling a knife
- a sharp cutting blade or tool in a machine
- surgery usu. used in the phrase under the knife
- to use a knife on
- to stab, slash, or wound with a knife
- to cut, mark, or spread with a knife
- to try to defeat by underhanded means
- to move like a knife in
- birds knifing the autumn sky
- to cut a way with or as if with a knife blade
- the cruiser knifed through the heavy seas
knifeedge ['nīf-,ej] -n
- a sharp wedge of steel or other hard material used as a fulcrum for a lever beam in a precision instrument
- a sharp narrow knifelike edge
knife·point [-,pȯint] -n
- the point of a knife
knight ['nīt] -n
- a mounted man-at-arms serving a feudal superior
- a man ceremonially inducted into special military rank usu. after completing service as page and squire
- a man honored by a sovereign for merit and in Great Britain ranking below a baronet
- a person of antiquity equal to a knight in rank
- a man devoted to the service of a lady as her attendant or champion
- a member of an order or society
- either of two pieces of each color in a set of chessmen having the power to make an L-shaped move of two squares in one row and one square in a perpendicular row over squares that may be occupied
- to make a knight of
knighter·rant ['nīt-'er-ənt] -n
- a knight traveling in search of adventures in which to exhibit military skill, prowess, and generosity
knighter·rant·ry [-'er-ən-trē] -n
- the practice or actions of a knight-errant
- quixotic conduct
knight·hood ['nīt-,hu̇d] -n
- the rank, dignity, or profession of a knight
- the qualities befitting a knight : chivalry
- knights as a class or body
knight·ly ['nīt-lē] -adj, n, adv
- of, relating to, or characteristic of a knight
- tales of knightly adventures
- made up of knights
Knight of Co·lum·bus [-kə-'ləm-bəs] -n
- a member of a benevolent and fraternal society of Roman Catholic men
Knight of Pyth·i·as [-'pi-thē-əs] -n
- a member of a secret benevolent and fraternal order
Knight of the Mac·ca·bees [-'ma-kə-,bēz] -n
- a member of a secret benevolent society
Knight Templar -n
- templar
- a member of an order of Freemasonry conferring three orders in the York rite
knish [kə-'nish] -n
- a small round or square of dough stuffed with a filling (as potato) and baked or fried
knit ['nit] -vb, n
- to tie together
- to link firmly or closely
- to cause to grow together
- time and rest will knit a fractured bone
- to contract into wrinkles
- to form by interlacing yarn or thread in a series of connected loops with needles
- to make knitted fabrics or objects
- to become compact
- to grow together
- to become drawn together
- knit stitch
- a knit fabric
- knitwear
knit stitch -n
- a basic knitting stitch usu. made with the yarn at the back of the work by inserting the right needle into the front part of a loop on the left needle from the left side, catching the yarn with the point of the right needle, and bringing it through the first loop to form a new loop
knit·ting -n
- the action or method of one that knits
- work done or being done by one that knits
knit·wear ['nit-,wer] -n
- knitted clothing
knob ['näb] -n, adj
- a rounded protuberance : lump
- a small rounded ornament or handle
- a rounded usu. isolated hill or mountain
knob·bly ['nä-b(ə-)lē] -adj
- having very small knobs
knob·ker·rie ['näb-,ker-ē] -n
- a short wooden club with a knob at one end used as a missile or in close attack esp. by Zulus of southern Africa
knock ['näk] -vb
- to strike something with a sharp blow
- to collide with something
- bustle
- heard them knock ing around in the kitchen
- wander
- knock ed about Europe all summer
- to make a pounding noise
- to have engine knock
- to find fault
- to strike sharply
- to drive, force, or make by or as if by so striking
- was knock ed out of the campaign
- to set forcibly in motion with a blow
- to cause to collide
- to find fault with
- always knock ing those in authority
- a sharp blow : rap, hit
- a severe misfortune or hardship
- setback, reversal
- a pounding noise
- a sharp repetitive metallic noise caused by abnormal ignition in an automobile engine
- a harsh and often petty criticism
- the knock on him was that he couldn't handle the pressure
knock·about ['näk-ə-,bau̇t] -adj, n
- suitable for rough use
- being noisy and rough : boisterous
- characterized by boisterous antics and often extravagant burlesque
- having a simplified rig marked by absence of bowsprit and topmast
knock back -vt
- drink, swallow
- to toss down (an alcoholic beverage)
knock·down ['näk-,dau̇n] -adj
- having such force as to strike down or overwhelm
- a bewildering assortment of knockdown arguments -- J. W. Krutch
- that can easily be assembled or disassembled
- extremely low : reduced
knockdown -n
- the action of knocking down
- something (as a blow) that strikes down or overwhelms
- something (as a piece of furniture) that can be easily assembled or disassembled
knock down [-'dau̇n] -vt
- to strike to the ground with or as if with a sharp blow : fell
- to dispose of (an item) to a bidder at an auction sale
- to take apart : disassemble
- to receive as income or salary : earn
- positions where they were able to knock down good money -- Infantry Jour.
- reduce
knockdown, dragout -adj, n
- marked by extreme violence or bitterness and by the showing of no mercy
- knockdown, dragout political debates
knock·er ['nä-kər] -n
- : one that knocks: as
- a metal ring, bar, or hammer hinged to a door for use in knocking
- a persistently pessimistic critic
- breast usu. used in pl.
knockknee ['näk-'nē, -,nē] -n, adj
- a condition in which the legs curve inward at the knees
knock·off ['näk-,ȯf] -n
- a copy that sells for less than the original
- a copy or imitation of someone or something popular
knock off -vi
- to stop doing something
- to do hurriedly or routinely
- knocked off one painting after another
- discontinue, stop
- deduct
- knocked off a little to make the price more attractive
- kill
- knocked off two men...on mercenary grounds -- Lewis Baker
- overcome, defeat
- knocked off each center of rebellion
- rob
- knocked off a couple of banks
- to make a knockoff of : copy, imitate
- knocks off popular dress designs
knock·out ['näk-,au̇t] -n
- the act of knocking out : the condition of being knocked out
- the termination of a boxing match when one boxer has been knocked down and is unable to rise and resume boxing within a specified time
- technical knockout
- a blow that knocks out an opponent
- a sensationally striking, appealing, or attractive person or thing
knockout -adj
- causing a knockout
- sensationally striking, appealing, or attractive
- having all or part of a gene eliminated or inactivated by genetic engineering
- knockout mice predisposed to diabetes mellitus
knock out -vt
- to produce roughly or hastily
- to defeat (a boxing opponent) by a knockout
- to make unconscious
- to make inoperative or useless
- electricity was knocked out by the storm
- to get rid of : eliminate
- knocked out illegal gambling
- to tire out : exhaust
- knocked themselves out with work
- to cause (an opposing pitcher) to be removed from a baseball game by a batting rally
knockout drops -n pl
- drops of a solution of a drug (as chloral hydrate) put into a drink to produce unconsciousness or stupefaction
knock over -vt
- to strike to the ground : fell
- overwhelm
- was knocked over by the news
- eliminate
- knocked over every difficulty
- steal
- hijack
- knocks over a truckload of merchandise -- J. B. Martin
- rob
knock up -vt
- rouse, summon
- to make pregnant
knock·wurst ['näk-(,)wərst also -,vu̇(r)st, sometimes -,vu̇sht] -n
- a short thick heavily seasoned sausage
knoll ['nōl] -n
- a small round hill : mound
- knell
knop ['näp] -n, adj
- a usu. ornamental knob
knot ['nät] -n
- an interlacement of the parts of one or more flexible bodies forming a lump or knob (as for fastening or tying together)
- the lump or knob so formed
- a tight constriction or the sense of constriction
- my stomach was all in knot s
- something hard to solve : problem
- a matter full of legal knot s
- a bond of union
- the marriage bond
- a protuberant lump or swelling in tissue
- the base of a woody branch enclosed in the stem from which it arises
- its section in lumber
- a cluster of persons or things : group
- an ornamental bow of ribbon : cockade
- a division of the log's line serving to measure a ship's speed
- one nautical mile per hour
- one nautical mile not used technically
- a closed curve in three-dimensional space
- to tie in or with a knot : form knots in
- to unite closely or intricately : entangle
- tie
- to form knots
- either of two sandpipers ( Calidris canutusand C. tenuirostris) that breed in the Arctic and winter in temperate or warm parts of the New and Old World
knot garden -n
- an elaborately designed garden esp. of flowers or herbs
knot·grass ['nät-,gras] -n
- a cosmopolitan prostrate weed ( Polygonum aviculare) of the buckwheat family with jointed stems, prominent sheathing stipules, and minute flowers
- any of several congeneric plants
- any of several grasses (as Paspalum distichum) with markedly jointed stems
knot·hole [-,hōl] -n
- a hole in a board or tree trunk where a knot or branch has come out
knotted -adj
- tied in or with a knot
- full of knots : gnarled
- knotty
- ornamented with knots or knobs
knot theory -n
- a branch of topology concerned with the properties and classification of mathematical knots
knot·ty ['nä-tē] -adj, n
- marked by or full of knots
- so full of difficulties and complications as to be likely to defy solution
knotty pine -n
- pine wood that has a decorative distribution of knots and is used esp. for interior finish
knot·weed ['nät-,wēd] -n
- any of several herbs (genus Polygonum) of the buckwheat family with leaves and bracts jointed and having a very short petiole
- polygonum
knout ['nau̇t, sometimes 'nüt] -n, vt
- a whip used for flogging
know ['nō] -vb, adj, n
- to perceive directly : have direct cognition of
- to have understanding of
- importance of know ing oneself
- to recognize the nature of : discern
- to recognize as being the same as something previously known
- to be acquainted or familiar with
- to have experience of
- to be aware of the truth or factuality of : be convinced or certain of
- to have a practical understanding of
- to have sexual intercourse with
- to have knowledge
- to be or become cognizant sometimes used interjectionally with you esp. as a filler in informal speech
- knowledge
knowall ['nō-,ȯl] -n
- know-it-all
knowhow ['nō-,hau̇] -n
- knowledge of how to do something smoothly and efficiently : expertise
knowing -n
- acquaintance, cognizance
- having or reflecting knowledge, information, or intelligence
- shrewdly and keenly alert : astute
- indicating possession of exclusive inside knowledge or information
- cognitive
- deliberate
- knowing interference in the affairs of another
knowitall ['nō-ət-,ȯl] -n, adj
- one who claims to know everything
- one who disdains advice
knowl·edge ['nä-lij] -n
- cognizance
- the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association
- acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique
- the fact or condition of being aware of something
- the range of one's information or understanding
- answered to the best of my knowledge
- the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning : cognition
- the fact or condition of having information or of being learned
- a person of unusual knowledge
- sexual intercourse
- the sum of what is known : the body of truth, information, and principles acquired by humankind
- a branch of learning
knowl·edge·able ['nä-lij-ə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- having or showing knowledge or intelligence
knowledge engineering -n
- a branch of artificial intelligence that emphasizes the development and use of expert systems
known -adj
- generally recognized
knownoth·ing ['nō-,nə-thiŋ] -n, adj
- ignoramus
- agnostic
- a member of a 19th century secret American political organization hostile to the political influence of recent immigrants and Roman Catholics
knownoth·ing·ism [-thiŋ-,i-zəm] -n
- the principles and policies of the Know-Nothings
- the condition of knowing nothing or desiring to know nothing or the conviction that nothing can be known with certainty esp. in religion or morality
- a mid-20th century political attitude characterized by anti-intellectualism, exaggerated patriotism, and fear of foreign subversive influences
knuck·le ['nə-kəl] -n, adj
- the rounded prominence formed by the ends of the two adjacent bones at a joint used esp. of those at the joints of the fingers
- the joint of a knuckle
- a cut of meat consisting of the tarsal or carpal joint with the adjoining flesh
- : something resembling a knuckle: as
- one of the joining parts of a hinge through which a pin or rivet passes
- knuckle joint
- the meeting of two surfaces at a sharp angle (as in a roof)
- a pivotal point
- a set of metal finger rings or guards attached to a transverse piece and worn over the front of the doubled fist for use as a weapon called also brass knuckles
knuckle ['nə-k(ə-)liŋ] -vb
- to place the knuckles on the ground in shooting a marble
- to press or rub with the knuckles
knuck·le·ball ['nə-kəl-,bȯl] -n
- a slow baseball pitch that moves erratically and unpredictably and that is thrown with little spin by gripping the ball with the knuckles or the tips of the fingers pressed against the top
knuck·le·bone ['nək-əl-,bōn] -n
- a bone (as a metatarsus or metacarpus of a sheep) used in games and formerly in divination
- a game played with knucklebones or jacks
knuckle down -vi
- to apply oneself earnestly
knuck·ledust·er ['nə-kəl-,dəs-tər] -n
- knuckle
knuck·le·head [-,hed] -n, adj
- dumbbell
knuckle joint -n
- a hinge joint in which a projection with an eye on one piece enters a jaw between two corresponding projections with eyes on another piece and is retained by a pin or rivet
knuck·ler ['nə-k(ə-)lər] -n
- knuckleball
knuckle under -vi
- give in, submit
knur ['nər] -n
- a hard excrescence (as on a tree trunk) : gnarl
knurl ['nər(-ə)l] -n, adj
- a small protuberance, excrescence, or knob
- one of a series of small ridges or beads on a metal surface to aid in gripping