~ 1
■ noun
1》 a fastening made by looping a piece of string, rope, etc. on itself and tightening it.
↘a tangled mass in hair, wool, etc.
↘an ornamental ribbon.
2》 a protuberance or node in a stem, branch, or root.
↘a hard mass in wood at the intersection of a trunk with a branch.
↘a hard lump of bodily tissue.
3》 a small group of people.
4》 a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used of ships, aircraft, or winds.
↘ chiefly historical a length marked by ~s on a log line, as a measure of speed.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ting , ~ted )
1》 fasten with a ~.
↘make (a carpet) with ~s.
↘tangle.
2》 cause (a muscle) to become tense and hard.
↘(of the stomach) tighten as a result of tension.
Phrases
at a rate of ~s Brit. informal very fast.
get ~ted Brit. informal go away!
tie someone ( up ) in ~s informal confuse someone completely.
tie the ~ informal get married.
Derivatives
~less adjective
~ter noun
Word History
Knot is first recorded in Old English in the sense 'a fastening made in string or rope'. The link with the later (17th-century) usage as a unit of speed for ships and aircraft is made through the ~ted line of the nautical device called a log (see log 1 ). The number of ~s , or length of line, that was run out in a certain time gave an estimate of the vessel's speed. There is no foundation for the attractive story that relates it to King Canute (Danish Knut ), who tried to stop the tide.
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~ 2
■ noun ( plural same or ~s ) a short-billed northern sandpiper. [ Calidris canutus .]
Origin
ME: of unknown origin.