- a join made by tying together two pieces or ends of string, rope, etc.
- to tie a knot
- Tie the two ropes together with a knot.
- Tie a knot in the rope.
- Sailors had to know lots of different knots.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- loose
- tight
- tangled
- …
- do
- tie
- undo
- …
- knot in
- a knot in your stomach
Definitions on the go
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- a way of twisting hair into a small round shape at the back of the head
- She had her hair in a knot.
- a tight mass in something such as hair or wool, where it has become twisted together
- hair full of knots and tangles
- a hard round spot in a piece of wood where there was once a branch
- a small group of people standing close together
- Little knots of people had gathered at the entrance.
- a tight, hard feeling in the stomach, throat, etc. caused by nerves, anger, etc.
- My stomach was in knots.
- I could feel a knot of fear in my throat.
- a unit for measuring the speed of boats and aircraft; one nautical mile per hourTopics Maths and measurementc2
in string/rope
of hair
in wood
group of people
of muscles
speed of boat/plane
Word OriginOld English cnotta, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch knot.
Idioms
See knot in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryat a rate of knots
- (British English, informal) very quickly
- She's getting through her winnings at a rate of knots.
More Like This Silent lettersSilent letters
tie somebody/yourself (up) in knots
- (informal) to become or make somebody very confused
- I got myself tied up in knots when I tried to explain the legal system to them.
tie the knot
- (informal) to get married
Check pronunciation:
knot