1
: a small protuberance, excrescence, or knob
2
: one of a series of small ridges or beads on a metal surface to aid in gripping
knurled adjective
knurly adjective

Examples of knurl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The bar features multiple knurl positions and lengths for your convenience and safety, with a 700-pound total capacity. Kathleen Willcox, Popular Mechanics, 21 Sep. 2022 The medium, diamond knurling with center knurl makes this safer to use. Tim Kohut, BGR, 30 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knurl.' 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

probably blend of knur and gnarl

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of knurl was in 1608

Dictionary Entries Near knurl

Cite this Entry

“Knurl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knurl. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on knurl

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!