Chapter 63

To knock about, to go about, taking knocks or rough usage; to wander about; to saunter. [Colloq.] "Knocking about town." W. Irving. -- To knock up, to fail of strength; to become wearied or worn out, as with labor; to give out. "The horses were beginning to knock up under the fatigue of such severe service." De Quincey. -- To knock off, to cease, as from work; to desist. -- To knock under, to yield; to submit; to acknowledge one's self conquered; -- an expression probably borrowed from the practice of knocking under the table with the knuckles, when conquered. "Colonel Esmond knocked under to his fate." Thackeray.

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Knock (nk), v. t. 1. To strike with something hard or heavy; to move by striking; to drive (a thing) against something; as, to knock a ball with a bat; to knock the head against a post; to knock a lamp off the table.

When heroes knock their knotty heads together.

Rowe.

2. To strike for admittance; to rap upon, as a door.

Master, knock the door hard.

Shak.

To knock down. (a) To strike down; to fell; to prostrate by a blow or by blows; as, to knock down an assailant. (b) To assign to a bidder at an auction, by a blow or knock; to knock off. -- To knock in the head, or on the head, to stun or kill by a blow upon the head; hence, to put am end to; to defeat, as a scheme or project; to frustrate; to quash. [Colloq.] -- To knock off. (a) To force off by a blow or by beating. (b) To assign to a bidder at an auction, by a blow on the counter. (c) To leave off (work, etc.). [Colloq.] -- To knock out, to force out by a blow or by blows; as, to knock out the brains. - - To knock up. (a) To arouse by knocking. (b) To beat or tire out; to fatigue till unable to do more; as, the men were entirely knocked up. [Colloq.] "The day being exceedingly hot, the want of food had knocked up my followers." Petherick. (c) (Bookbinding) To make even at the edges, or to shape into book form, as printed sheets.

Knock, n. 1. A blow; a stroke with something hard or heavy; a jar.

2. A stroke, as on a door for admittance; a rap. " A knock at the door." Longfellow.

A loud cry or some great knock.

Holland.

Knock off, a device in a knitting machine to remove loops from the needles.

Knock"down` (?), n. A felling by a knock, as of a combatant, or of an animal.

Knock"down`, a. Of force sufficient to fell or completely overthrow; as, a knockdown blow; a knockdown argument. [Colloq.]

Knock"er (?), n. One who, or that which, knocks; specifically, an instrument, or kind of hammer, fastened to a door, to be used in seeking for admittance.

Shut, shut the door, good John ! fatigued, I said; Tie up the knocker; say I'm sick, I'm dead.

Pope.

Knock"ing, n. A beating; a rap; a series of raps.

The . . . repeated knockings of the head upon the ground by the Chinese worshiper.

H. Spencer.

Knock"ings (?), n. pl. (Mining) Large lumps picked out of the sieve, in dressing ore.

Knock"-knee` (?), n. (Med.) A condition in which the knees are bent in so as to touch each other in walking; inknee.

Knock"-kneed` (?), a. Having the legs bent inward so that the knees touch in walking. [Written also knack-kneed.]

Knock"stone` (?), n. (Mining) A block upon which ore is broken up.

Knoll (?), n. [AS. cnoll; akin to G. knolle, knollen, clod, lump, knob, bunch, OD. knolle ball, bunch, Sw. knöl, Dan. knold.] A little round hill; a mound; a small elevation of earth; the top or crown of a hill.

On knoll or hillock rears his crest, Lonely and huge, the giant oak.

Sir W. Scott.

Knoll (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Knolled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Knolling.] [OE. knollen, AS. cnyllan. See Knell.] To ring, as a bell; to strike a knell upon; to toll; to proclaim, or summon, by ringing. "Knolled to church." Shak.

Heavy clocks knolling the drowsy hours.

Tennyson.

Knoll, v. i. To sound, as a bell; to knell. Shak.

For a departed being's soul The death hymn peals, and the hollow bells knoll.

Byron.

Knoll, n. The tolling of a bell; a knell. [R.] Byron.

Knoll"er, n. One who tolls a bell. [Obs.] Sherwood.

Knop (?), n. [OE. knop, knoppe; cf. D. knop, knoop, G. knopf, Dan. knap, knop, Sw. knapp, knopp, button, bud, Icel. knappr, and E. knap, n. Cf. Knap, Knob.] 1. A knob; a bud; a bunch; a button.

Four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

Ex. xxv. 21.

2. (Arch.) Any boldly projecting sculptured ornament; esp., the ornamental termination of a pinnacle, and then synonymous with finial; -- called also knob, and knosp.

Knop sedge (Bot.), the bur reed (Sparganium); -- so called from its globular clusters of seed vessels. Prior.

Knopped (?), a. Having knops or knobs; fastened as with buttons. [Obs.] Rom. of R.

Knop"pern (?), n. [Cf. G. knopper. See Knop.] (Zoöl.) A kind of gall produced by a gallfly on the cup of an acorn, -- used in tanning and dyeing.

Knop"weed` (?), n. Same as Knapweed.

Knor (?), n. See Knur. [Obs.]

Knosp (?), n. [Cf. G. knospe bud, E. knop, knar.] (Arch.) Same as Knop,2. Milman.

Knot (?), n. [OE. knot, knotte, AS. cnotta; akin to D. knot, OHG. chnodo, chnoto, G. knoten, Icel. kn&?;tr, Sw. knut, Dan. knude, and perh. to L. nodus. Cf. Knout, Knit.] 1. (a) A fastening together of the pars or ends of one or more threads, cords, ropes, etc., by any one of various ways of tying or entangling. (b) A lump or loop formed in a thread, cord, rope. etc., as at the end, by tying or interweaving it upon itself. (c) An ornamental tie, as of a ribbon.

The names of knots vary according to the manner of their making, or the use for which they are intended; as, dowknot, reef knot, stopper knot, diamond knot, etc.

2. A bond of union; a connection; a tie. "With nuptial knot." Shak.

Ere we knit the knot that can never be loosed.

Bp. Hall.

3. Something not easily solved; an intricacy; a difficulty; a perplexity; a problem.

Knots worthy of solution.

Cowper.

A man shall be perplexed with knots, and problems of business, and contrary affairs.

South.

4. A figure the lines of which are interlaced or intricately interwoven, as in embroidery, gardening, etc. "Garden knots." Bacon.

Flowers worthy of paradise, which, not nice art In beds and curious knots, but nature boon Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain.

Milton.

5. A cluster of persons or things; a collection; a group; a hand; a clique; as, a knot of politicians. "Knots of talk." Tennyson.

His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries.

Shak.

Palms in cluster, knots of Paradise.

Tennyson.

As they sat together in small, separate knots, they discussed doctrinal and metaphysical points of belief.

Sir W. Scott.

6. A portion of a branch of a tree that forms a mass of woody fiber running at an angle with the grain of the main stock and making a hard place in the timber. A loose knot is generally the remains of a dead branch of a tree covered by later woody growth.

7. A knob, lump, swelling, or protuberance.

With lips serenely placid, felt the knot Climb in her throat.

Tennyson.

8. A protuberant joint in a plant.

9. The point on which the action of a story depends; the gist of a matter. [Obs.]

I shoulde to the knotte condescend, And maken of her walking soon an end.

Chaucer.

10. (Mech.) See Node.

11. (Naut.) (a) A division of the log line, serving to measure the rate of the vessel's motion. Each knot on the line bears the same proportion to a mile that thirty seconds do to an hour. The number of knots which run off from the reel in half a minute, therefore, shows the number of miles the vessel sails in an hour. Hence: (b) A nautical mile, or 6080.27 feet; as, when a ship goes eight miles an hour, her speed is said to be eight knots.

12. A kind of epaulet. See Shoulder knot.

13. (Zoöl.) A sandpiper (Tringa canutus), found in the northern parts of all the continents, in summer. It is grayish or ashy above, with the rump and upper tail coverts white, barred with dusky. The lower parts are pale brown, with the flanks and under tail coverts white. When fat it is prized by epicures. Called also dunne.

The name is said to be derived from King Canute, this bird being a favorite article of food with him.

The knot that called was Canutus' bird of old, Of that great king of Danes his name that still doth hold, His appetite to please that far and near was sought.

Drayton.

Knot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Knotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Knotting.] 1. To tie in or with, or form into, a knot or knots; to form a knot on, as a rope; to entangle. "Knotted curls." Drayton.

As tight as I could knot the noose.

Tennyson.

2. To unite closely; to knit together. Bacon.

3. To entangle or perplex; to puzzle. [Obs. or R.]

Knot, v. i. 1. To form knots or joints, as in a cord, a plant, etc.; to become entangled.

Cut hay when it begins to knot.

Mortimer.

2. To knit knots for fringe or trimming.

3. To copulate; -- said of toads. [R.] Shak.

Knot"ber`ry (?), n. (Bot.) The cloudberry (Rudus Chamæmorus); -- so called from its knotted stems.

Knot"grass` (?), n. (Bot.) (a) a common weed with jointed stems (Polygonum aviculare); knotweed. (b) The dog grass. See under Dog.

An infusion of Polygonum aviculare was once supposed to have the effect of stopping the growth of an animal, and hence it was called, as by Shakespeare, "hindering knotgrass."

We want a boy extremely for this function, Kept under for a year with milk and knotgrass.

Beau. & Fl.

Knot"less, a. Free from knots; without knots. "Silver firs with knotless trunks." Congreve.

Knot"ted (?), a. 1. Full of knots; having knots; knurled; as, a knotted cord; the knotted oak. Dryden.

2. Interwoven; matted; entangled.

Make . . . thy knotted and combined locks to part.

Shak.

3. Having intersecting lines or figures.

The west corner of thy curious knotted garden.

Shak.

4. (Geol.) Characterized by small, detached points, chiefly composed of mica, less decomposable than the mass of the rock, and forming knots in relief on the weathered surface; as, knotted rocks. Percival.

5. Entangled; puzzling; knotty. [R.]

They're catched in knotted lawlike nets.

Hudibras.

Knot"ti*ness (?), n. [From Knotty.] 1. The quality or state of being knotty or full of knots.

2. Difficulty of solution; intricacy; complication. " Knottiness of his style." Hare.

Knot"ty (?), a. [Compar. Knottier (?); superl. Knottiest.] 1. Full of knots; knotted; having many knots; as, knotty timber; a knotty rope.

2. Hard; rugged; as, a knotty head.[R.] Rewe.

3. Difficult; intricate; perplexed.

A knotty point to which we now proceed

Pope.

Knot"weed` (nt"wd`), n. (Bot.) See Knotgrass.

Knot"wort` (-wûrt`), n. (Bot.) A small, herbaceous, trailing plant, of the genus Illecebrum (I. verticillatum).

Knout (nout or nt), n. [Russ. knut'; prob. of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. knut knot, knout, Icel. kntr knot: cf. F. knout. See Knot.] A kind of whip for flogging criminals, formerly much used in Russia. The lash is a tapering bundle of leather thongs twisted with wire and hardened, so that it mangles the flesh.

Knout, v. t. To punish with the knout. Brougham.

Know (n), n. Knee. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Know (n), v. t. [imp. Knew (n); p. p. Known (nn); p. pr. & vb. n. Knowing.] [OE. knowen, knawen, AS. cnäwan; akin to OHG. chnäan (in comp.), Icel. knä to be able, Russ. znate to know, L. gnoscere, noscere, Gr. gighw`skein, Skr. jn; fr. the root of E. can, v. i., ken. &radic;45. See Ken, Can to be able, and cf. Acquaint, Cognition, Gnome, Ignore, Noble, Note.] 1. To perceive or apprehend clearly and certainly; to understand; to have full information of; as, to know one's duty.

O, that a man might know The end of this day's business ere it come!

Shak.

There is a certainty in the proposition, and we know it.

Dryden.

Know how sublime a thing it is To suffer and be strong.

Longfellow.

2. To be convinced of the truth of; to be fully assured of; as, to know things from information.

3. To be acquainted with; to be no stranger to; to be more or less familiar with the person, character, etc., of; to possess experience of; as, to know an author; to know the rules of an organization.

He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin.

2 Cor. v. 21.

Not to know me argues yourselves unknown.

Milton.

4. To recognize; to distinguish; to discern the character of; as, to know a person's face or figure.

Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Matt. vil. 16.

And their eyes were opened, and they knew him.

Luke xxiv. 31.

To know Faithful friend from flattering foe.

Shak.

At nearer view he thought he knew the dead.

Flatman.

5. To have sexual commerce with.

And Adam knew Eve his wife.

Gen. iv. 1.

Know is often followed by an objective and an infinitive (with or without to) or a participle, a dependent sentence, etc.

And I knew that thou hearest me always.

John xi. 42.

The monk he instantly knew to be the prior.

Sir W. Scott.

In other hands I have known money do good.

Dickens.

To know how, to understand the manner, way, or means; to have requisite information, intelligence, or sagacity. How is sometimes omitted. " If we fear to die, or know not to be patient." Jer. Taylor.

Know, v. i. 1. To have knowledge; to have a clear and certain perception; to possess wisdom, instruction, or information; -- often with of.

Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Is. i. 3.

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

John vii. 17.

The peasant folklore of Europe still knows of willows that bleed and weep and speak when hewn.

Tylor.

2. To be assured; to feel confident.

To know of, to ask, to inquire. [Obs.] " Know of your youth, examine well your blood." Shak.

Know"a*ble (?), a. That may be known; capable of being discovered, understood, or ascertained.

Thus mind and matter, as known or knowable, are only two different series of phenomena or qualities.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Know"a* ble*ness, n. The state or quality of being knowable. Locke.

Know"-all` (?), n. One who knows everything; hence, one who makes pretension to great knowledge; a wiseacre; -- usually ironical. [Colloq. or R.]

Know"er (?), n. One who knows. Shak.

Know"ing, a. 1. Skilful; well informed; intelligent; as, a knowing man; a knowing dog.

The knowing and intelligent part of the world.

South.

2. Artful; cunning; as, a knowing rascal. [Colloq.]

Know"ing, n. Knowledge; hence, experience. " In my knowing." Shak.

This sore night Hath trifled former knowings.

Shak.

Know"ing*ly, adv. 1. With knowledge; in a knowing manner; intelligently; consciously; deliberately; as, he would not knowingly offend. Strype.

2. By experience. [Obs.] Shak.

Know"ing*ness, n. The state or quality of being knowing or intelligent; shrewdness; skillfulness.

Knowl"eche (?), n. & v. [Obs.] See Knowledge.

We consider and knowleche that we have offended.

Chaucer.

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Knowl"ech*ing (?), n. Knowledge. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Knowl"edge (?), n. [OE. knowlage, knowlege, knowleche, knawleche. The last part is the Icel. suffix -leikr, forming abstract nouns, orig. the same as Icel. leikr game, play, sport, akin to AS. lc, Goth. laiks dance. See Know, and cf. Lake, v. i., Lark a frolic.]

1. The act or state of knowing; clear perception of fact, truth, or duty; certain apprehension; familiar cognizance; cognition.

Knowledge, which is the highest degree of the speculative faculties, consists in the perception of the truth of affirmative or negative propositions.

Locke.

2. That which is or may be known; the object of an act of knowing; a cognition; -- chiefly used in the plural.

There is a great difference in the delivery of the mathematics, which are the most abstracted of knowledges.

Bacon.

Knowledges is a term in frequent use by Bacon, and, though now obsolete, should be revived, as without it we are compelled to borrow "cognitions" to express its import.

Sir W. Hamilton.

To use a word of Bacon's, now unfortunately obsolete, we must determine the relative value of knowledges.

H. Spencer.

3. That which is gained and preserved by knowing; instruction; acquaintance; enlightenment; learning; scholarship; erudition.

Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

1 Cor. viii. 1.

Ignorance is the curse of God; Knowledge, the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.

Shak.

4. That familiarity which is gained by actual experience; practical skill; as, a knowledge of life.

Shipmen that had knowledge of the sea.

1 Kings ix. 27.

5. Scope of information; cognizance; notice; as, it has not come to my knowledge.

Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldst take knowledge of me?

Ruth ii. 10.

6. Sexual intercourse; -- usually preceded by carnal; as, carnal knowledge.

Syn. -- See Wisdom.

Knowl"edge, v. t. To acknowledge. [Obs.] "Sinners which knowledge their sins." Tyndale.

Known (?), p. p. of Know.

Know"-noth`ing (?), n. A member of a secret political organization in the United States, the chief objects of which were the proscription of foreigners by the repeal of the naturalization laws, and the exclusive choice of native Americans for office.

The party originated in 1853, and existed for about three years. The members of it were called Know-nothings, because they replied "I don't know," to any questions asked them in reference to the party.

Know"-noth`ing*ism (?), n. The doctrines, principles, or practices, of the Know-nothings.

Knubs (?), n. pl. Waste silk formed in winding off the threads from a cocoon.

Knuc"kle (?), n. [OE. knokel, knokil, AS. cuncel; akin to D. knokkel, OFries. knokele, knokle, G. knöchel, Sw. knoge, Dan. knokkel, G. knochen bone, and perh. to E. knock.] 1. The joint of a finger, particularly when made prominent by the closing of the fingers. Davenant.

2. The kneejoint, or middle joint, of either leg of a quadruped, especially of a calf; -- formerly used of the kneejoint of a human being.

With weary knuckles on thy brim she kneeled sadly down.

Golding.

3. The joint of a plant. [Obs.] Bacon.

4. (Mech.) The joining parts of a hinge through which the pin or rivet passes; a knuckle joint.

5. (Shipbuilding) A convex portion of a vessel's figure where a sudden change of shape occurs, as in a canal boat, where a nearly vertical side joins a nearly flat bottom.

6. A contrivance, usually of brass or iron, and furnished with points, worn to protect the hand, to add force to a blow, and to disfigure the person struck; as, brass knuckles; -- called also knuckle duster. [Slang.]

Knuckle joint (Mach.), a hinge joint, in which a projection with an eye, on one piece, enters a jaw between two corresponding projections with eyes, on another piece, and is retained by a pin which passes through the eyes and forms the pivot. -- Knuckle of veal (Cookery), the lower part of a leg of veal, from the line of the body to the knuckle.

Knuc"kle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Knuckled (?);; p. pr. & vb. n. Knuckling (?).] To yield; to submit; -- used with down, to, or under.

To knuckle to. (a) To submit to in a contest; to yield to. [Colloq.] See To knock under, under Knock, v. i. (b) To apply one's self vigorously or earnestly to; as, to knuckle to work. [Colloq.]

Knuc"kle, v. t. To beat with the knuckles; to pommel. [R.] Horace Smith.

Knuc"kled (?), a. Jointed. [Obs.] Bacon.

Knuff (nf), n. [Cf. Gnof a churl.] A lout; a clown. [Obs.]

The country knuffs, Hob, Dick, and Hick, With clubs and clouted shoon.

Hayward.

Knur (nûr), n. [See Knurl.] A knurl. Woodward.

Knurl (nûrl), n. [See Knar, Gnar.] A contorted knot in wood; a crossgrained protuberance; a nodule; a boss or projection.

2. One who, or that which, is crossgrained.

Knurl (nûrl), v. t. To provide with ridges, to assist the grasp, as in the edge of a flat knob, or coin; to mill.

Knurled (nûrld), a. 1. Full of knots; gnarled.

2. Milled, as the head of a screw, or the edge of a coin.

Knurl"y (nûrl"), [Compar. Knurlier (-*r); superl. Knurliest.] [See Knur, and cf. Gnarly.] Full of knots; hard; tough; hence, capable of enduring or resisting much.

Knur"ry (?), a. Full of knots. [Obs.] Drayton.

Ko*ai"ta (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Coaita.

Ko*a"la (?), n. A tailless marsupial (Phascolarctos cinereus), found in Australia. The female carries her young on the back of her neck. Called also Australian bear, native bear, and native sloth.

{ Kob (?), Ko"ba (?) }, n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of African antelopes of the genus Kobus, esp. the species Kobus sing- sing.

Ko"balt (?), n. See Cobalt.

Ko"bel*lite, n. [From Franz von Kobell, of Munich.] (Min.) A blackish gray mineral, a sulphide of antimony, bismuth, and lead.

Ko"bold (?), n. [G., perh. orig., house god, hose protector. See Cobalt] A kind of domestic spirit in German mythology, corresponding to the Scottish brownie and the English Robin Goodfellow.

Ko"dak (?), n. A kind of portable camera.

||Ko"el (?), n. [Native name in India.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several ||species of cuckoos of the genus Eudynamys, found in India, the East ||Indies, and Australia. They deposit their eggs in the nests of other ||birds. || Koff (?), n. [D. kof.] A two-masted Dutch vessel.

{ Koh`i*noor", Koh`*nur } (?), n. [Per. koh-i-n&?;r, lit., mountain of light.] A famous diamond, surrendered to the British crown on the annexation of the Punjab. According to Hindoo legends, it was found in a Golconda mine, and has been the property of various Hindoo and Persian rulers.

Kohl (?), n. [See Alcohol.] A mixture of soot and other ingredients, used by Egyptian and other Eastern women to darken the edges of the eyelids.

Kohl"-ra`bi (?), n.; pl. Kohl-rabies (#). [G. Cf. Cole, Rape the plant.] (Bot.) A variety of cabbage, in which the edible part is a large, turnip-shaped swelling of the stem, above the surface of the ground.

||Ko*ka"ma (?), n. (Zoöl.) The gemsbok. || Ko"klass (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any pheasant of the genus Pucrasia. The birds of this genus inhabit India and China, and are distinguished by having a long central and two lateral crests on the head. Called also pucras.

Ko*koon" (?), n. (Zoöl.) The gnu.

Ko*la"ri*an (?), n. (Ethnol.) An individual of one of the races of aboriginal inhabitants which survive in Hindostan. -- a. Of or pertaining to the Kolarians.

Ko*me"nic (?), a. [Prob. G. mekonin (by transposition of letters) + -ic.] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to, or designating, an acid derived from meconic acid. [Written also comenic.]

Kom"tok (?), n. (Zoöl.) An African freshwater fish (Protopterus annectens), belonging to the Dipnoi. It can breathe air by means of its lungs, and when waters dry up, it encases itself in a nest of hard mud, where it remains till the rainy season. It is used as food.

Kon (?), v. t. To know. See Can, and Con. [Obs.]

Ye konnen thereon as much as any man.

Chaucer.

Ko"nite (?), n. (Min.) See Conite.

Konze (?), n. (Zoöl.) A large African antelope (Alcelaphus Lichtensteini), allied to the hartbeest, but having shorter and flatter horns, and lacking a black patch on the face.

Koo"doo (?), n. (Zoöl.) A large South African antelope (Strepsiceros kudu). The males have graceful spiral horns, sometimes four feet long. The general color is reddish or grayish brown, with eight or nine white bands on each side, and a pale dorsal stripe. The old males become dark bluish gray, due to the skin showing through the hair. The females are hornless. Called also nellut. [Written also kudu.]

Koo"koom (?), n. (Zoöl.) The oryx or gemsbok. [Written also kookaam.]

Koo`lo*kam"ba (?), n. (Zoöl.) A west African anthropoid ape (Troglodytes koolokamba, or T. Aubryi), allied to the chimpanzee and gorilla, and, in some respects, intermediate between them.

Kool"slaa` (?), n. See Coleslaw.

Koord (?), n. See Kurd.

Koord"ish, n. See Kurdish.

Koo*ril"i*an (?), a & n. Same as Kurilian.

Ko"peck (?), n. [Russ. kopeika.] A small Russian coin. One hundred kopecks make a rouble, worth about sixty cents. [Written also kopek, copec, and copeck.]