knot

\ ˈnät

Definition of knot

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : an interlacement of the parts of one or more flexible bodies forming a lump or knob (as for fastening or tying together)

b : the lump or knob so formed

c : a tight constriction or the sense of constriction my stomach was all in knots

2 : something hard to solve : problem a matter full of legal knots

3 : a bond of union especially : the marriage bond

4a : a protuberant lump or swelling in tissue a knot in a gland

b : the base of a woody branch enclosed in the stem from which it arises also : its section in lumber

5 : a cluster of persons or things : group

6 : an ornamental bow of ribbon : cockade

7a : a division of the log's line serving to measure a ship's speed

b(1) : one nautical mile per hour

(2) : one nautical mile —not used technically

8 : a closed curve in three-dimensional space

knot

verb

knotted; knotting

Definition of knot (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to tie in or with a knot : form knots in

2 : to unite closely or intricately : entangle

3 : tie sense 4b knotted the score

intransitive verb

: to form knots

knot

noun (2)

plural knots or knot

Definition of knot (Entry 3 of 3)

: either of two sandpipers (Calidris canutus and C. tenuirostris) that breed in the Arctic and winter in temperate or warm parts of the New and Old World

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Cite this Entry

“Knot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knot. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for knot

knot

verb

English Language Learners Definition of knot

: to tie a section of rope, string, fabric, etc., to itself or to something else so that a knot forms : to make a knot in (something) also : to connect (two or more parts or things) with a knot

: to develop a painful or uncomfortable feeling of tightness

US, informal : to make (the score of a game or contest) equal

See the full definition for knot in the English Language Learners Dictionary

knot

noun

\ ˈnät

Kids Definition of knot

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a section of rope or string that has been tied together to form a lump or knob or to keep something secure

2 : tangle entry 2 sense 1 Comb the knots out of your hair.

3 : a painful or uncomfortable area in a body part I had knots in my stomach.

4 : a cluster of persons or things Down the table, the … ladies drew into a knot, to confer.— Richard Peck, A Year Down Yonder

5 : the inner end of a woody branch enclosed in a plant stem or a section of this in sawed lumber

6 : one nautical mile per hour (about two kilometers per hour)

knot

verb

knotted; knotting

Kids Definition of knot (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to tie together in a way that cannot be easily untied I knotted my shoelaces.

2 : to become tense or tight My stomach knotted while I waited for the dentist.

knot

noun

\ ˈnät

Medical Definition of knot

1 : an interlacing of the parts of one or more flexible bodies (as threads or sutures) in a lump to prevent their spontaneous separation — see surgeon's knot

2 : a usually firm or hard lump, swelling, or protuberance (as in a muscle or on the surface of a bone) or process a knot in a gland a bone with two or three knots

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