ENGLISH
REFERENCE

knot

n. · v.
US //ˈnɑt// UK //nˈɒt// knot
  1. 1 tied string or rope (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a place where you have tied a piece of string or rope together so it stays firm.

    an interlacing or looping of a flexible material, such as rope or ribbon, drawn tight to form a fastening.

    Example

    He tied a tight knot in the rope to keep the boat from drifting away.

    Example

    The climber checked every knot in the safety harness twice before beginning the final ascent up the granite face.
  2. 2 nautical speed unit (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Science

    a unit used to measure how fast a ship or an aircraft is moving.

    a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used in maritime and aviation contexts.

    Example

    The ship was travelling at twenty knots when it crossed the equator.

    Example

    The aircraft maintained a steady speed of four hundred knots despite the significant headwind encountered over the Atlantic.
    • nautical mile per hour
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  1. 3 lump in wood (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a hard, round, dark spot in a piece of wood where a branch once grew.

    a hard, cross-grained mass in a piece of timber, marking the point where a branch was joined to the trunk.

    Example

    The carpenter had to work carefully around a large knot in the oak plank.

    Example

    The rustic aesthetic of the cabin was enhanced by the visible knots and natural imperfections in the pine panelling.
    • gnarl
    • whorl
  2. 4 muscle tension (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    a tight, painful feeling in a muscle that feels like a small lump.

    a localized area of muscle contraction or tension that feels hard to the touch and causes discomfort.

    Example

    She had a painful knot in her shoulder after sitting at the computer all day.

    Example

    The massage therapist focused on releasing the stubborn knots in the athlete's lower back after the marathon.
  3. 5 a small group (n.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    a small group of people standing close together.

    a small, closely gathered group of people or things.

    Example

    A small knot of reporters waited outside the courthouse for the verdict.

    Example

    A small knot of protesters gathered at the gates, their quiet murmurs contrasting with the heavy silence of the evening.
  4. 6 to tie together (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to tie something into a knot or to become tangled.

    to fasten or secure by forming a knot; also used intransitively to describe the process of becoming tangled.

    Example

    She knotted the ends of the scarf together to keep it from falling off.

    Example

    The thread had knotted so badly during the sewing process that she was forced to cut it and start again.
  5. 7 stomach/muscles tightening (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    when your stomach or muscles feel tight because you are nervous or angry.

    to tighten or contract painfully, typically due to emotional stress or physical tension.

    Example

    His stomach knotted with fear as he stepped onto the stage to speak.

    Example

    Her brow knotted in deep concentration as she attempted to decipher the ancient manuscript's faded script.
Etymology 1

From Middle English knotte, from Old English cnotta, from Proto-West Germanic knottō, from Proto-Germanic knuttô, knudô (“knot”); probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gnod- (“to bind”). See also Old High German knoto (German Knoten, Dutch knot, Low German Knütte; also Old Norse knútr > Danish knude, Swedish knut, Norwegian knute, Faroese knútur, Icelandic hnútur; also Latin nōdus and its Romance descendants. Doublet of knout, node, and nodus. * (unit of speed): From the practice of counting the number of knots in the logline (as it is paid out) in a standard time. Traditionally spaced at one every ¹⁄₁₂₀ of a mile.

Etymology 2

Supposed to be derived from the name of King Canute, with whom the bird was a favourite article of food. See the specific epithet canutus.

Idioms4 entries

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