knot
10 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
knots
plural
knots
Britannica Dictionary definition of KNOT
[count]
1
a
:
a part that forms when you tie a piece of rope, string, fabric, etc., to itself or to something else
—
see also granny knot, slipknot, square knot
-
She tied the rope in a knot.
-
He made/tied a knot in the rope.
-
untie a knot
-
loosen/tighten a knot
b
:
a part where something has become twisted or wrapped around itself
— often used figuratively
—
see also gordian knot
-
The electrical cord was tangled in knots.
-
She tried to untangle the knots [=tangles] in the child's hair.
-
The project has been tied up in political and legal knots for years. [=nothing has happened with the project for years because of political and legal problems]
2
:
a painful or uncomfortable feeling of tightness in part of your body
-
a knot in a muscle
-
massaging the knots out of my back
-
I was so nervous that my stomach was in knots. [=I had an unpleasant and tight feeling in my stomach]
3
:
a dark round mark on a piece of wood that shows where a branch grew
-
a board full of knots
4
:
a way of arranging long hair by twisting it into a round shape at the sides or back of the head
-
She pulled her hair into a knot [=bun] at the back of her neck.
5
:
a group of people who are standing or sitting close together
-
A knot [=cluster] of people blocked the door.
6
:
a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour
-
Wind is from the north at 12 knots.
-
sailing at six knots
at a rate of knots
tie the knot
informal
:
to get married
-
When are you two going to tie the knot?
tie yourself (up) in knots
1
:
to cause problems for yourself because you are being too careful, trying too hard, etc.
-
The mayor tied himself in knots answering a touchy political question. [=he answered it in a confused or unclear way]
2
:
to become very upset or worried
-
I don't know why they're tying themselves in knots over such a trivial problem.
2
knot
/ˈnɑːt/
verb
knots;
knotted;
knotting
2
knot
/ˈnɑːt/
verb
knots;
knotted;
knotting
Britannica Dictionary definition of KNOT
1
[+ object]
:
to tie a section of rope, string, fabric, etc., to itself or to something else so that a knot forms
:
to make a knot in (something)
-
He knotted his tie so that both ends would be the same length.
-
knot a string/rope
also
:
to connect (two or more parts or things) with a knot
-
Knot the threads together.
-
She knotted a sweater around her shoulders. [=tied the sleeves of the sweater together around her shoulders]
2
[no object]
:
to develop a painful or uncomfortable feeling of tightness
— often + up
-
My stomach knotted [=tensed] up as I waited for the interview.
3
[+ object]
US, informal
:
to make (the score of a game or contest) equal
-
He scored a goal that knotted [=tied] the score at 3 all.
