knot

knot
{{11}}knot (n.) O.E. cnotta "intertwining of ropes, cords, etc.," from P.Gmc. *knuttan- (Cf. Low Ger. knütte, O.Fris. knotta "knot," Du. knot, O.H.G. knoto, Ger. Knoten, perhaps also O.N. knutr "knot, knob"). Figurative sense of "difficult problem" was in Old English (Cf. Gordian knot). Symbolic of the bond of wedlock, early 13c. As an ornament of dress, first attested c.1400. Meaning "thickened part or protuberance on tissue of a plant" is from late 14c. The nautical unit of measure (1630s) is from the practice of attaching knotted string to the log line. The ship's speed can be measured by the number of knots that play out while the sand glass is running.
The distance between the knots on the log-line should contain 1/120 of a mile, supposing the glass to run exactly half a minute. [Jorge Juan and Antonio de Ulloa, "A Voyage to South America" 1760]
{{12}}knot (v.) "to tie in a knot," mid-15c., from KNOT (Cf. knot) (n.). Related: Knotted (late 12c.), knotting.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • 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

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