knead

verb

kneaded; kneading; kneads

transitive verb

1
a
: to work and press into a mass with or as if with the hands
kneading dough
b
: to manipulate or massage with a kneading motion
kneaded sore neck muscles
2
: to form or shape by or as if by kneading
kneadable adjective
kneader noun

Examples of knead in a Sentence

Knead the dough until it is smooth.
Recent Examples on the Web Once most of the dough has come together through stirring, use your clean hands to form a ball and start kneading. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023 To use beurre manie, use your fingertips to knead together equal portions of flour and butter in a small bowl until the mixture is thick and smooth. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023 Transfer mixture to a clean work surface, and knead gently to bring together. Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2023 Electric extruders operate by extruding the pasta dough from a dough chamber and then kneading and cutting the pasta on its own. Michelle Love, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2023 This model did a good job with the bread dough, and the design helped to form a more natural kneading action, our tester pointed out. Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 9 July 2023 Instead kneading usually means the cat feels happy, friendly and safe, according to Vitale. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2023 The massage pillow will work on your muscles and knead out those kinks. Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2023 Cons: The mixer was noticeably louder and shaky while kneading bread dough on higher speeds. Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 9 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English kneden, from Old English cnedan; akin to Old High German knetan to knead

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of knead was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near knead

Cite this Entry

“Knead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knead. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

knead

verb
1
: to work and press into a mass with or as if with the hands
2
: to treat as if by kneading : massage
kneader noun

More from Merriam-Webster on knead

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