knot

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈnät 

1

a

: 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

4

a

: 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

7

a

: 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

Illustration of knot

• 1 Blackwall hitch
• 2 carrick bend
• 3 clove hitch
• 4 cat's-paw
• 5 figure eight
• 6 granny knot
• 7 bowline
• 8 overhand knot
• 9 fisherman's bend
• 10 half hitch
• 11 square knot
• 12 slipknot
• 13 stevedore knot
• 14 true lover's knot
• 15 surgeon's knot
• 16 Turk's head
• 17 sheet bend
• 18 timber hitch
• 19 seizing
• 20 rolling hitch
• 21 sheepshank

knot

2 of 3

verb

knotted; knotting

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

knotter noun

knot

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural knots or knot

: 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

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• array
• assemblage
• band
• bank
• batch
• battery
• block
• bunch
• clot
• clump
• cluster
• clutch
• collection
• constellation
• group
• grouping
• huddle
• lot
• muster
• package
• parcel
• passel
• set
• suite

Verb

• entangle
• interlace
• intertwine
• intertwist
• interweave
• snarl
• tangle

Examples of knot in a Sentence

Verb

He knotted his tie so that both ends would be the same length.

the extension cords were hopelessly knotted together

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After a decade of dating, the pair secretly tied the knot on Oct. 5, 2019, in an intimate ceremony in New York surrounded by friends, family and their two kids. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024

The couple started dating in 2008 and tied the knot during a wedding special in 2015. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024

The mass elopement in Tiffin saw some 130 couples tie the knot or renew vows in the 3 minutes and 54 seconds the moon covered the sun. —USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024

Powered by twin 560 hp MAN engines, the yachts can travel at a max speed of 13.5 knots, cruise at 9 knots, and cover 3,000 nautical miles at 8 knots. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024

Hundreds of couples from around the country have flocked to a Russellville, Arkansas, soccer field today to tie the knot at the very moment the moon covers the sun. —Maura Barrett, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth dated on and off since 2010 before tying the knot in December 2018. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Apr. 2024

Crowds will gather at eclipse watch parties to cheer on as the moon passes between Earth and the sun, and hundreds of couples plan to mark the phenomenon by tying the knot. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock Photo: Getty Images Anderson and Rock (unsurprisingly) skirted a traditional church venue, choosing to tie the knot in 2006 on a yacht in Saint-Tropez. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024

Verb

The singer and guitarist Ezra Koenig wore khakis and sometimes loosely knotted a sweater around his shoulders, a look that everyone knows is the unofficial uniform of rich, scummy boyfriends in high-school movies. —Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024

Air Force huffed and puffed its way to a 58-55 lead with 3:04 left when the Rams’ Jalen Lake drained a triple from the right wing, dropping through after a high doink off the rim and a hometown bounce to knot the score. —Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2024

With the game knotted at 39-39, a momentum-shifting moment occurred early in the third quarter. —Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2024

Cleveland point guard Darius Garland converted the resulting technical free throw to knot the score up at 97 and send the game into OT. —Sam Joseph, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024

Pitts stepped up to the line with the score tied at 57 but missed both shots and then Noah Kim’s shot gave Canyon the lead before Pitts knotted the game at 59-59. —David Delgado, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2024

This style is just two separate sections of your hair being knotted the old-fashioned way. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024

Ponder started the contest with back-to-back 3-pointers but three consecutive field goals from Holliday knotted things up, and both teams were tied at 15 as the first quarter ended. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024

The movies all showcase mothers and sons; many of them seek to untangle relationships knotted and gnarled by neediness, selfishness or cruelty. —Mark Harris Keita Morimoto, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English cnotta; akin to Old High German knoto knot

Noun (2)

Middle English knott

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Verb

1547, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing knot

• cut the Gordian knot
• Gordian knot
• granny knot
• half-knot
• knot garden
• knot theory
• love knot
• overhand knot
• reef knot
• root knot
• root-knot nematode
• running knot
• shoulder knot
• single knot
• square knot
• stevedore knot
• stopper knot
• surgeon's knot
• sword knot
• tie the knot
• true lover's knot
• weaver's knot
• Windsor knot

Kids Definition

knot

1 of 2 noun

ˈnät 

1

: an interlacing (as of string or ribbon) that forms a lump or knob

2

: something hard to solve : problem

3

: a bond of union

especially : the marriage bond

4

a

: a lump or swelling in bodily tissue

b

: the base of a woody branch enclosed in the stem from which it arises

also : a section of a knot in lumber

5

: a cluster of persons or things

6

: one nautical mile per hour

knot

2 of 2 verb

knotted; knotting

1

: to tie in or with a knot

2

: to unite closely

Medical Definition

knot

noun

ˈnät 

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

knot verb

knotted; knotting