knit
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to make clothes like sweaters or scarves by using long needles to loop yarn together.
v.to construct fabric by interlocking loops of yarn or thread with needles or a machine.
Simple“My grandmother taught me how to knit a warm scarf for the winter.”
In context“She spent the quiet evenings knitting intricate patterns into a woollen jumper for her newborn nephew.”
UsageCan be used with or without a direct object.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to join people or things together in a strong, close way.
v.to unite or link different elements or people into a cohesive and firm whole.
Simple“The shared experience helped to knit the small community together.”
In context“The director's vision served to knit the disparate scenes into a powerful and coherent narrative.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.when broken bones grow back together and heal.
v.to grow together or become compacted, specifically regarding the healing process of fractured bones.
Simple“The doctor said it would take six weeks for the broken bone to knit.”
In context“X-rays confirmed that the fracture had begun to knit successfully, showing significant new bone growth across the break.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to move your eyebrows together because you are thinking hard or are angry.
v.to draw the eyebrows together, resulting in a wrinkled forehead, typically as a sign of concentration or displeasure.
Simple“He would often knit his brows when he was trying to solve a difficult puzzle.”
In context“The professor sat in silence, knitting his brows as he scrutinised the student's controversial thesis statement.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used with 'brows'.
Synonymsfrownscowl - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a piece of clothing made by knitting, or the type of fabric itself.
n.a garment or fabric produced by the process of knitting.
Simple“She wore a heavy knit to protect herself from the cold wind.”
In context“The autumn collection featured a variety of chunky knits and lightweight cotton blends.”
From Middle English knytten, from Old English cnyttan (“to fasten, tie, bind, knit; add, append”), from Proto-West Germanic knuttijan, from Proto-Germanic knutjaną, *knuttijaną (“to make knots, knit”). Cognate with Low German knütten and Old Norse knýta (whence Danish knytte, Norwegian Nynorsk knyta). More at knot.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.