knot

noun (1)

\ 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

Illustration of knot

Noun (1)

knot 1b: 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

In the meaning defined above

Other Words from knot Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about knot

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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

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Cite this Entry

“Knot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knot. Accessed 3 Mar. 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