Knuckle Definition
nŭkəl
knuckled, knuckles, knuckling
noun
knuckles
A joint of the finger; esp., the joint connecting a finger to the rest of the hand.
Webster's New World
The rounded knob formed by the bones at such a joint.
Webster's New World
The knee or hock joint and nearby parts of a pig or other animal, used as food.
Webster's New World
Something resembling a knuckle, as any of the projecting, cylindrical parts through which a pin is passed to form a hinge.
Webster's New World
A sharp angle formed by the meeting of two surfaces, especially two ship's timbers.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
verb
To strike, press, or touch with the knuckles.
Webster's New World
To shoot (a marble) with the thumb over the bent forefinger.
American Heritage
idiom
knuckle down
- to rest the knuckles on the ground in shooting a marble
- to work energetically or seriously
Webster's New World
knuckle under
- to yield; give in
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Knuckle
Origin of Knuckle
-
From Middle English knokel (“finger joint”), ultimately from a diminutive of Proto-Germanic root *knuck- "bone". Cognate with Dutch knokkel (“knuckle”).
From Wiktionary
Middle English knokel
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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