knot

1 of 3

noun (1)

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

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

Examples of knot in a Sentence

Noun (1) from the summit we could see knots of houses up and down the river valley felt a small knot on the back of his head their business partnership is strengthened by the knot of personal friendship knots of people were quietly chatting around the meeting hall the situation involved so many legal knots that we decided to get a lawyer 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Fines later tied the knot in a Malibu backyard wedding ceremony in October 2019. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 18 May 2025 Lauren Sánchez is headed to the altar in style The Emmy-winning journalist will soon tie the knot with Amazon founder Jezz Bezos See all of her Paris bachelorette party looks so far Lauren Sánchez is putting her stamp on bridal fashion ahead of her big day! Angel Saunders, People.com, 17 May 2025
Verb
What made the top particularly interesting is that it was adorned with engagement rings, which were knotted on a silver chain to give the appearance of chainmail. Michael Nied, People.com, 13 May 2025 But the Flames, who earned their first invite to the NCAA Tournament by capturing their first Atlantic Sun regular-season and tournament crowns, reeled off four unanswered goals in a span of 3:08 to knot the score at 6 with 3:35 remaining. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for knot

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Knot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knot. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

knot

1 of 2 noun
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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on knot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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