I. knot 1 /nɒt $ nɑːt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: cnotta ]
1 . STRING/ROPE ETC
a) a part where one or more pieces of string, rope, cloth etc have been tied or twisted together:
Are you any good at tying knots?
Thread the string through the hoop and tie it in a knot.
b) a part where hair, a thread etc has become accidentally twisted together:
I can’t get the knots out of my hair.
knot in
There’s a knot in my shoelace.
2 . HAIR STYLE a hair style in which your hair is arranged in a tight round shape on top of your head
3 . WOOD a hard round place in a piece of wood where a branch once joined the tree
4 . SHIP’S OR AIRCRAFT'S SPEED a unit for measuring the speed of ships and aircraft, equal to about 1,853 metres per hour
5 . PEOPLE a small group of people standing close together
knot of
Knots of delegates stood around outside the conference centre.
6 . FEELING a tight uncomfortable feeling caused by a strong emotion such as fear or anger
knot of
a knot of anxiety in her stomach
Her stomach was in knots.
7 . HARD MASS a tight painful place in a muscle
⇨ ↑ Gordian knot , ⇨ at a rate of knots at ↑ rate 1 (7), ⇨ tie the knot at ↑ tie 2 (5), ⇨ tie yourself (up) in knots at ↑ tie 1 (6)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1a)
■ verbs
▪ tie a knot
My uncle taught me how to tie knots.
▪ untie/undo a knot
He tried to untie the knot in the rope around his ankles.
▪ loosen a knot (=make it less tight)
Mr Benson loosened the knot in his tie.
■ adjectives
▪ tight
The knot in my shoelaces is really tight.
▪ loose
She tied the belt in a loose knot around her waist.
II. knot 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle knotted , present participle knotting )
1 . [transitive] to tie together two ends or pieces of string, rope, cloth etc:
A pretty scarf was loosely knotted around her neck.
2 . [intransitive] if hair, a thread etc knots, it becomes twisted together
3 . [intransitive and transitive] if a muscle or other part of your body knots, or is knotted, it feels tight and uncomfortable:
Fear and anxiety knotted her stomach.