/ ˈnʌkl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] any of the joints in the fingers, especially those connecting the fingers to the rest of the hand
—picture at hand
2.
(also hock especially in NAmE ) [ U , C ] a piece of meat from the lower part of an animal's leg, especially a pig
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IDIOMS
- near the knuckle
—more at rap noun , rap verb
■ verb
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PHRASAL VERBS
- knuckle down (to sth)
- knuckle under (to sb/sth)
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English knokel (originally denoting the rounded shape when a joint such as the elbow or knee is bent), from Middle Low German , Middle Dutch knökel , diminutive of knoke bone. In the mid 18th cent. the verb knuckle (down) expressed setting the knuckles down to shoot the taw (large marble) in a game of marbles, hence the notion of applying oneself with concentration.