knee-breeches

knee-brush, s.

knee-swell, s.

2440

greater or less amount of wind may be turned on Music: An arrangement in an organ by which a tone. to the reeds or pipes to vary the loudness of the

knee-timber, s.

knife-grinder

knělt, pret. & pa. par. [KNEEL.]

*knět, pa. par. or a. [KNIT.]

kněv el, v. t. [Etym. doubtful.] To belabor a man after being knocked down.

"Twa land-loupers jumpt out of a peat-hag on me or I was thinking, and got me down, and knevelled me sair knew (ew as ū), pret. of v. [KNOW.]

1. Timber of a bent or angular shape, suited for aneuch."-Scott: Guy Mannering, ch. xxiv. shipbuilding.

2. The knee of a ship.

knee-cap, 8

1. Anat.: A sesamoid, heart-shaped bone in front of the knee, attached to four muscles, with the broad part upward, and the apex downward. It articulates with the two condyles of the femur.

2. Harness: A padded or leather cap, secured by straps over the knees of racing, hunting, and other valuable horses when at exercise, to protect the part against abrasion in case of an accidental fall. It is made of fabric, leather, caoutchouc, guttapercha, compressed cork in a double pad, &c. knee-cords, s. pl. Corded knee-breeches.

knee-crooking, adj. Bending or bowing the knee; obsequious, cringing.

knee-deep, a. & adv.

A. As adj.: Rising to the height of the knees; knee-high.

"The absence of the old knee-deep stubbles which the old sickle used to leave."-Pall Mall Gazette.

B. As adv.: Sunk to the knees, or to the height of the knees.

"Where knee-deep the trees were standing." Longfellow: Song of Hiawatha, xvii. knee-high, a. Rising to the knees, or to the height of the knees. knee-joint, 8.

1. Anat.: A ginglymoid articulation of large size, formed by the femur, patella, and the tibia and fibula. It is provided with thirteen distinct ligaments, the first five are external to the articulation, the next five internal, and the other three mere folds of synovial membrane. There are two fibrocartilages and a synovial membrane, and in connection with the patella are two mucous burs. The action of the knee-joint is one of the strongest in the body, and is perfect in respect of flexion and extension, and when the knee is semiflexed a very small amount of rotation is obtainable. The ligaments are, the anterior, posterior, internal lateral, two external lateral, anterior or external crucial, posterior or internal crucial, transverse, two coronary, ligamentum mucosum, and ligamenta alaria (false), two semilunar fibro-cartilages, and the synovial membrane.

2. Mach. A joint consisting of two pieces articu lated endwise to each other, like the human knee; a toggle-joint.

Knee-joint press: A press in which power is applied by means of a double knee-joint articulated at the top to the upright framework, and at the bottom to a cross-head, from which proceeds the shaft which applies the force, and which works through a guide. At the junction of the branches the articulations are made with masses of metal forming screw-nuts, through which passes a horizontal screw, right-handed for one-half its length, and left-handed for the other half. This screw is operated at first by means of a set of crank-handles at one end of it; and when the resistance becomes very great, by means of a counterpoised ratchet lever, which works in the middle of the frame. The force applied in this way is very great, since the operator can act on the lever with his whole weight. knee-jointed, a.

Bot.: Bent abruptly like a knee; geniculated, as the stems of many grasses.

knee-worship, s. [KNEE-TRIBUTE.] *knee, v. t. [KNEE, 8.]

1. To pass over on the knees.

"A mile before his tent fall down, and knee The way into his mercy." Shakesp.: Coriolanus, v. 1. 2. To kneel to. "I could as well be brought To knee his throne, and squire-like pension beg." Shakesp.: Lear, ii. 4.

kneēd, a. [Eng. kne(e); -ed.]

*knib, v. t. [NIB, v.]

knick -ĕr, s. [Dut. knikker.] A ball of baked clay used as a marble by boys.

knick -ĕrş, s. pl. [KNICKERBOCKERS.] A familiar abbreviation for knickerbockers (q. v.).

"I recommend flannel knickers in preference to flannel petticoats."-Queen, Oct. 7, 1882.

knick -er-bock-ers, s. pl. [After Diedrich Knickerbocker, one of Washington Irving's characters, considered as typical of a Dutchman.] A kind of loose breeches, reaching just below the knee, where they are gathered in and made tight to the leg.

*1. Ord. Lang.: Having knees; only in composi- They are chiefly worn by sportsmen, tourists, and tion; as, weak-kneed, knock-kneed, &c.

2. Bot.: The same as KNEE-JOINTED (q. v.). knee-hŏl-lý, knee-hōlm (or l silent), s. [Eng. knee, and holly, holm.]

Bot.: Ruscus aculeatus.

knee-hōlm (1 silent), s. [KNEEHOLLY.] kneel, *knele, *knelen, v. i. [Eng. knee, s.; suff. 1; Dan. knæle; Dut. knielen.] To bend the knees; to fall on the knees.

kneel -ĕr, 8. [Eng. kneel; -er.]

I. Ordinary Language:

1. One who kneels; one who worships by kneeling.

2. A stool or cushion for kneeling on. II. Ch. Hist.: A name given to certain catechu. mens allowed to be present at the sermons and at part of the liturgy, and to receive the benediction. The name was also given to penitents (q. v.) enjoying the same privilege.

[KNEEL.] kneel-ing, *knel-ynge, pr. par., adj. & s.

A. & B. As pr. par. & particip. adj.: (See the verb.)

C. As substantive:

1. Ord. Lang.: The act of bending the knee; worship by bending or falling on the knees; genuflection.

2. Ecclesiol. & Ch. Hist. In the third century Christians were accustomed to stand erect when thanking God for mercies received, but knelt in self-abasement when they prayed. Kneeling at the name of Jesus was ordered by the Pope in 1275. kneel-ing-ly, adv. [Eng, kneeling; -ly.] In a kneeling manner or posture; with genuflections knee -păn, s. [Eng. knee, and pan.] Anat.: The same as KNEE-CAP (q. v.). kneepan-shaped, a.

Bot.: Broad, round, thick; convex on the lower surface, concave on the upper one, patelliform. Nearly the same as meniscoid, but thicker. Example, the embryo of Flagellaria. (Lindley.)

cnell a passing-bell; cnall=a knell.] [KNELL, v.] kněll, s. [A.S.cnyl; Sw.knall; Ger. knall; Wel. 1. Lit. The sound of a bell when struck, espe cially the sound of a bell rung at a funeral or to announce a death; a stroke upon a bell made at periodic intervals, at the time of a death or funeral; a single stroke is made for a child, two strokes for a woman, and three for a man.

"Never sighed at the sound of a knell,
Or smiled when a Sabbath appeared."
Cowper: Verses by Alexander Selkirk.

2. Fig.: The death, the death-blow, the end; any sound or sign of the passing away of anything. "I feel the solemn sound. If heard aright, It is the knell of my departed hours." Young: Night Thoughts, i. 59.

kněll, *knille, *knolle, *knowl, *knylle, v. i. & t. [A. S. cnyllan to beat noisily; cogn, with Dut. knallen to give a loud report; Dan. knalde (=knalle) to explode; Sw. knalla to make a loud noise; Ger. knallen; Icel. gnella to scream.] A. Intransitive:

I. Lit.: To sound as a funeral bell; to knoll.
"Not worth a blessing nor a bell to knell for thee.”
Beaum. & Flet.: Spanish Curate, iv. 1.
II. Figuratively:

1. To resound, to sound.
"Your fame
Knowls in the ear o' th' world."

Two Noble Kinsmen, i. 1. 2. To sound as an omen or warning of coming evil. B. Trans.: To summon or announce with or as with a knell.

young boys.

knick-knǎck, 8. [A reduplication of knack= trick, toy.]

1. A trifle, a toy; any little ornamental article. *2. Light refreshment.

knick-knǎck'-a-tor-й, s. [Eng. knickknack; valuable. -atory.] A collection of things curious rather than

"His house a sort of knickknackatory."-North: Life of Lord Guilford, ii. 252.

knick-knǎck-er, s. [Eng. knickknack; -er.] A

trifler.

"Other kind of knickknackers there are."-Bretos. Strange News, p. 6.

Knickknacks, trifles, toys, ornaments. knick-knack-er-y, s. , 8. [Eng. knickknack; -ery.) knife, *cnif, *knif, *knyf, s. with Dut. knijf; Icel. knifr; Dan. kniv; Sw. knif; [A. S. cnif; con. Prov. Ger, kneif.]

1. A cutting instrument having a blade sharpened on the edge, and distinguishable from a sword, a coulter, and other things by its form and uses. Knives are of various forms, shapes, and sizes, according to the uses for which they are intended. "Deep plunging, and again deep plunging oft, His broad keen knife into the solid mass." Cowper: Task, v. 35.

knife-edge, s. A sharpened steel edge resting against a horizontal surface, the two serving as a means of suspending a scale beam, or the scales obviate friction as much as possible. from the beam, of a delicate balance, so as to

knife-file, s. A file with a very acute edge, the cross-section being an isosceles triangle with a short base. Known also as a feather-edge file. It is used in cutting narrow notches, and in making edges; also in beveling or chamfering the sides of an entering kerf for saws and for files with broader

pine, pit, sïre, sir,

marîne; gō, pōt,

knife-handle

Knife-grinder's rot:

Pathol. Bronchitis produced by the mechanical action of the particles of steel, &c., inhaled into the lungs. Called also Grinder's Asthma. knife-handle, s. The handle of a knife. knife-polisher, s.

Domestic: A machine for cleaning the rust and stain from table-knives.

knife-rest. s. A small article of glass, silver, &c., on which to rest the points of carving-knives, forks, &c.

knife-sharpener, s. An invention for sharpening the edges of knives. There are several kinds in

use.

knife-tool, s. A graver shaped like a knife. knife-tray, s. A tray or basket in which knives are kept.

knife, v. t. [KNIFE, 8.]

1. Ord. Lang.: To stab or cut with a knife. (Vulgar.)

2. Hortic.: To prune; to cut back.

knight (gh silent), *cniht, *knygt, *knyght. s. [A. S. cniht a boy, a servant; cogn. with Dut. knecht; Dan. knegt; Sw. knekt; Ger. knecht; cf. Ir. cniocht a soldier.]

I. Ordinary Language:

*1. A male servant or attendant; a follower, a dependant.

2. A champion, a lover; one devoted to the service of another.

"To honor Helen and to be her knight."

Shakesp.: Midsummer Night's Dream, ii. 2. *3. A man admitted to a certain degree of military rank, with certain ceremonies or religious rites, the candidate for knighthood being called upon to prepare himself by fasting and prayers, watching his arms alone all night in a chapel, and by receiving the accolade (q. v.).

"A knight ther was, and that a worthy man." Chaucer: C. T., 44.

4. One who holds a certain dignity conferred by the sovereign or his representative, and entitling the possessor to the title of Sir prefixed to his name. The dignity differs from that of a baronet in not being hereditary. Wives of knights are legally entitled to the designation of Dame, but are more commonly addressed as Lady. (Eng.)

II. Technically:

*1. Cards: The old name of the knave or jack (q. v.).

2. Chess: The name of one of the pieces-the next in value to a pawn-in chess, usually represented by a horse's head.

3. Naut.: A wooden block with a sheave abaft the fore or the main mast, and known respectively as the fore-knight and main-knight.

*knight-errand, s. A knight-errant (q. v.). *knight-errant, subst. A wandering knight; a knight who wandered about in quest of adventures for the purpose of showing his skill, prowess, and generosity.

knight-errantry, s. The character or actions of a knight-errant; the practice of wandering about in quest of adventures.

*knight-erratic, a. Of or pertaining to knighterrants or knight-errantry.

knight-like, a. [KNIGHTLIKE.]

knight-marshal, s. An official in the household of the British sovereign, having cognizance of all offenses committed within the royal household or verge, and of contracts made there, when one of the parties is a member of the household.

knight of industry, s. One who subsists by fraud; a thief, or pickpocket.

Knight of Malta, Knight of Rhodes, Knight of St. John of Jerusalem, s. The names by which the ancient order of Hospitallers was known. Knight of St. Michael and St. George, subst. [MICHAEL.]

Knight of St. Patrick, s. [PATRICK.] Knight of the Bath, s. [BATH.] "knight of the blade, s. A bully who perpetually threatened to draw his blade.

*Knight of the chamber, s. A knight-bachelor made by the sovereign in time of peace, in the sovereign's chamber, and not on the field. knight of the cleaver, s. A butcher.

boil, boy; pout, jowl; cat, çell,

Feudal Law: (See extract).

"The first, most universal, and esteemed the most honorable species of tenure, was that by knight-service, which differed in very few points from a proper feud. To make this, a determinate quantity of land was necessary, which was called a knight's-fee, the value of which, though it varied with the times, in the reigns of Edward I. and Edward II., was stated at £20 per annum, and the tenant was bound to attend his lord to the wars for forty days in every year, if called upon."-Blackstone: Comment., bk. ii., ch. 3.

*Knights of Faith and Charity, s. pl.

Ch. Hist.: A monastic order established in France in the thirteenth century to suppress public robberies. It obtained the sanction of Pope Gregory IX. Knights of Labor, s. pl. A secret organization having for its object the maintenance of the rights of workingmen. (U.S.)

Knights of Pythias, s. pl. A secret fraternal order organized at Washington, D. C., in 1864, and now numbering in the United States over 300,000 members.

Knights of the Maccabees, s. A benevolent association, founded in 1881, and now numbering in this country nearly 100,000.

*Knights of the Round Table, s. pl. [ROUNDTABLE.]

knight's-service, knight-service, s. Feudal Law: A tenure of lands held by a knight on condition of performing military service for the sovereign. (KNIGHT'S-FEE.] knight's-spur, s.

Bot.: The genus Delphinium. knight's-star, s.

knit

*2. The deeds or actions of a knight; chivalrous deeds.

"And that is loue, whose nature

Set life end death in a venture Of hem, that knighthode vndertake." Gower: C. A., ii. *3. Conduct becoming or befitting a knight; knightly conduct.

"Corsede caytyfs, knyght-hode was hit nevere To bete a body y-bounde." P. Plowman, p. 344. 4. Knights collectively; the aggregate of those persons who have been created knights.

"Which ceremony, as was formerly hinted, is supposed to have been the original of the feudal knighthood.”— Blackstone: Comment., bk. ii., ch. 5.

¶ Order of Knighthood: A duly organized and constituted order or body of knights. They are of two kinds, the first consisting of associations or fraternities, possessing property and rights of their own, as independent bodies; the second honorary associations established by sovereigns within their own dominions. To the first class belong the those numerous orders established in different Knights Templars and Hospitallers; to the second countries, as the Order of the Holy Ghost, the Order of the Golden Fleece, &c., in European countries, and the Orders of the Bath, the Garter, St. Patrick, St. Michael, and St. George, the Thistle, &c., in Great Britain. Each order has its appropriate insignia, generally including ribbon, collar, badge, or jewel and a star. [BATH, GARTER, ORDER, STAR, THISTLE.]

*knight -less (gh silent), a. [Eng. knight; -less.] 1. Destitute of knights.

2. Unbecoming a knight.

"Arise thou cursed miscreant, That hast with knightlesse guile and treacherous traine, Faire knighthood foully shamed."

Spenser: F. Q., I. vi. 41. knight-like (gh silent), a. [Eng. knight; -like.] Resembling a knight; becoming a knight; knightly. knight-li-ness (gh silent), 8. [Eng. knightly;

-ness.]

1. The quality or state of being knightly. 2. Knightly actions; chivalry.

knight-ly (gh silent), a. & adv. [A. S. cnihtlic (a.), cnihtlice (adv.).]

A. As adj.: Pertaining to a knight; becoming or befitting a knight; chivalrous.

B. As adv.: Like a knight; in a manner becom ing a knight.

knight -ship (gh silent), s. [Eng. knight; -ship.] The dignity or position of a knight; knighthood. Knip-per-dol-ings, s. pl. [See def.]

Ch. Hist.: A fanatical sect of German Anabaptists (q. v.) of the sixteenth century. They derived their name from their founder, Bernard Knipperdoling.

*knip'-per-kin, s. [NIPPERKIN.]

knit, *knitte, v. t. & i. [A. S. cnyttan, cnittan, from chotta a knot; cogn. with Icel. knýta, knytja, from knutra knot; Dan. knytte to tie a knot, to

knight's-wort, s.

Bot.: Stratiotes aloides. Knight Templar, s.

1. Originally: One of the ancient religio-military order of monks dedicated to the defense of the sepulcher of Christ and the protection of pilgrims. The order was so called from its headquarters being in an apartment belonging to Baldwin of Flanders, near the Temple, in Jerusalem. It took its rise in the early years of the twelfth century, and was suppressed by order of the Council of Vienne, held in 1312. [Seo TEMPLAR.]

2. Modern times: A degree or order of modern Freemasonry ranking in dignity above the Blue Lodge and the Royal Arch Chapter.

knight (gh silent), v. t. [KNIGHT, 8.] To create or dub a knight; to raise to the dignity of a knight, which is done by the sovereign, or his (or her) representative, who gives the person kneeling a blow with a sword, and bids him rise up sir. [AccoLADE.]

knightage (as nit -Ig), s. [Eng. knight, s.; -age.] 1. Those persons collectively who have been created knights.

2. A book containing the names, &c., of all knights.

knight-hood (gh silent), *knight hode, *knyght-hod, *knyght hode, s. [A. S. cnihthád, from eniht a knight, and hád=hood condition.] 1. The character, dignity, or rank of a knight. "Knighthoods and honors, borne As I wear mine, are titles but of scorn. Shakesp.: Cymbeline, v. 2. go, gem; thin, this;

knut a knot.] [KNOT, 8.]

A. Transitive:

I. Literally:

1. To tie with a knot; to tie together; to fasten by tying or with a knot.

"Botes he toke & barges, the sides togidere knytte.” Robert de Brunne, p. 241.

2. To weave by looping or knotting a continuous thread; to form or put together by the operation of knitting (q. v.).

II. Figuratively: 1. To join together.

knocker-off

3. A Welsh goblin said to dwell in a mine and point out rich veins of ore. Chiefly used in Cardiganshire. (Brewer.)

II. Domestic: An attachment in a flour-sifter to jar the frame and shake the flour from the meshes of the bolting-cloth.

knocker-off, s.

Knitting: A wheel with projections to raise the loop over the top of the needle and discharge it therefrom. A similar wheel, called a sinker, depresses the yarn between the needles.

knock -ing, pr. par., a. & s. [KNOCK, v.]

A. & B. As pr. par. & particip. adj.: (See the verb.)

C. As substantive:

I. Ord. Lang.: The act of hitting or striking; a blow.

II. Technically:

1. Bookbind.: Setting even at the edges, by taking a bunch or pile of sheets or leaves, and striking the edges on the bench.

2. Metall. (pl.): The larger pieces of ore and gangue which are picked out of the sieve.

3. Masonry (pl.): The small pieces broken off from stone by hammering or chiseling.

knocking-down iron, s.

Bookbind.: An iron for pounding down the projecting twines (slips) to which the sheets are sewed, so that they shall not project and mark the back cover. knŏl-kōhi, 8. [Ger. knollen=a clod, a lump, a tuber; and kohl=cabbage colewort.]

Hort.: Brassica oleracea caulorapa. knōll, v. t. & i. [KNELL, v.]

A. Transitive:

1. To ring or sound, as a bell. *2. To ring a bell or knell for.

B. Intrans.: To sound, as a bell when rung; to knell.

knōll, *knol, s. [A. S. cnol; cogn. with Dut. knol =a turnip, from its roundness; Dan. knold=a knoll; Sw. knöl a bump, a knot; Ger. knollen a knoll.] The top of a hill; a hillock; a mound; a little hill or mount; a small elevation.

knōll-er, s. [Eng. knoll, v. ; -er.] One who tolls

a bell.

knŏlles, s. [Ger. knollen=a tuber.] Bot.: Brassica rapa.

knop, knob, *knoppe, *knap, *knub, s. [A. S. cnap the top of a hill; cogn. with Dut. knop=a knob, a button, a bud; knoop a knob; Icel. knappr =a knot, a button; Dan. knap, knop a knob, a button; Sw. knopp a knob, knop a knot; Ger. knopf a knob, a button, a bud. Of Celtic origin: Gael. cnap a slight blow, a knob; Wel. cnap=a knob, a button; Ir. cnap.]

1. Ord. Lang.: A knob, a button, a protuberance, a bud, a bunch, the summit of a hill.

"That there be a knope under every ii. braunches of ye syxe yt procede out of ye candlestycke." - Exodus XIV. (1551.)

2. Arch.: A bunch of leaves, flowers, or similar ornaments, as the bosses at the intersection of ribs, the ends of labels and other moldings, and the bunches of foliage on capitals.

knopped, a. [Eng. knop ed.] Having knobs, tufts, or buttons; fastened with buttons.

"And high shoes knopped with dagges." Romaunt of the Rose. knŏp'-pērn, 8. [Ger. knopper=a gall-nut.] Bot.: A curious gall formed on some species of oak in Hungary and other parts of Europe. (Treas. of Bot.)

knop -sědge, s. [Eng. knop, and sedge.] A species of burr reed, Sparganium, so called from the shape of its clusters of seed-vessels.

knop -weēd, s. [KNAPWEED.] *knor, 8. [Knur.]

knŏr-ri-a, s. [Named after G. W. Knorr.] Palæobot.: A genus of fossil plants allied to, if indeed it be more than a sub-genus of, Lepidodendron (q. v.). Prof. Morris enumerated three species, all from the English coal measures. One of these is found also in Silesia and in Russia, another at Saarbruck, &c., in Germany.

knosp, s. [Etym. doubtful.]

Arch.: A bud or unopened leaf or flower, used as an architectural ornament.

knot (1), *knotte, s. [A. S. cnotta; cogn, with Dut. knot; Icel. knútr; Dan. knude; Sw. knat; Ger. knoten; Lat. nodus gnodus.]

I. Ordinary Language:

1. Literally:

(1) The interlacement or intertwining of a rope or cord so as to attach one part of it to another part

sect.

"The whole land
Is full of weeds, her fairest flowers choked up,
Her knots disordered."

Shakesp.: Richard II., iii. 4. (4) A hard part in a piece of wood, caused by the shooting of a branch obliquely or transversely to the general grain or direction of the fiber.

(5) A protuberant or swollen joint of a plant. (6) A protuberance or knob on the bark of a tree; a knur.

(7) A nodule of stone occurring in a rock of a different kind; a knur. (8) A difficulty, a perplexity; something not easily

solved.

1. Arch. The same as KNOP (q. v.). 2. Bot.: An irregular or twisted course of the separate elements of wood caused by branches, buds, or any similar cause.

3. Brush-making: The brush-maker's term for a tuft of bristles ready for insertion into a hole drilled in the stock.

4. Labor: A kind of double shoulder-pad, with a loop passing round the forehead, the whole roughly resembling a horse-collar, used by market porters in some places for carrying burdens. It is probably a development from a length of rope knotted into a loop, worn in the same manner and for the

same purpose.

"Democritus first noticed him as a porter, who showed great address in inventing the knot."-Lewes: History of Philosophy, i. 120.

of

5. Mech. The same as KNOTE (q. v.). 6. Mil.: An epaulet, a shoulder-knot. 7. Naut.: A nautical or geographical mile; a degree of latitude; about 2,025 yards. The English statute mile contains 1,760 yards. [LOG.] knot-horn, s.

Beautiful Knot-horn is Pempelia formosa. Entom. (pl.): Phycidae, a family of moths. The knot-weed, s.

Bot.: The same as KNOTGRASS (q. v.).

knot (2), s. [Named, it is said, after King Canute, with whom it was a favorite article of food. (See extract.)]

Ornith: Tringa canutus, a wading-bird, which has the breast deep chestnut in summer and white in winter, and the back dark with fulvous spots in summer and ashy-gray in winter. It breeds within the Arctic circle, from which it migrates in autumn to the Eastern Hemisphere, as far even as the Cape and Australia.

knot, v. t. & i. [KNOT, 8.]

A. Transitive:

I. Ordinary Language:

1. Literally:

(1) To tie in a knot or knots; to form a knot or knots on.

(2) To tie with a knot; to fasten.

"And at his side a wretched scrip was hung
Wide-patched and knotted to a twisted thong."
Pope: Homer's Odyssey, xiii. 507.

2. Figuratively:

(1) To intwine, to intertwist.

"To knot, to twist, to range the vernal bloom, But far is cast the distaff, spinning-wheel and loom." Thomson: Castle of Indolence, i. 71

*(2) To unite, to join together, to associate. "The party of the papists in England are become more knotted, both in dependence toward Spain and among themselves."-Bacon: War with Spain.

(3) To entangle, to perplex.

II. Technically:

knot -bĕr-ry, s. [Eng. knot (1), and berry.] Bot.: Rubus chamamorus.

knōte, s. [A variant of node (q. v.).]

Mech. The point where ropes, cords, &c., meet from angular directions in funicular machines. knot -grass, 8. [Eng. knot (1), and grass.]

Bot.: Polygonum aviculare, a prostrate plant, with internodes, stipules, and white, narrow leaves, silvery pink, crimson, or green inconspicuous flowers, clustered in the axils of various leaves. It is common in fields and waste-places. An infusion of this plant was formerly supposed to have the power of stopping the growth of any animal, whence Shakespeare (Midsummer Night's Dream, iii. 2) calls it "hindering" knotgrass. Allusions to this fancied power may also be found in the works of his contemporaries. [KNOTwEED, KNOTWORT.]

Knotgrass.

"The knotgrass fettered there the hand,
Which once could burst an iron band."

Scott: Lady of the Lake, iii. 5. knot-less, *knot-lesse, *knotte-less, a. & adv. [Eng. knot; -less.]

A. As adj.: Free from knots; having no knots; not kinky."

"Here silver firs with knotless trunks ascend." Congreve: Ovid; Metamorphoses x. *B. As adv.: Without hindrance, stop, or diffi culty.

"For both Troilus and Troy town

Shal knotlesse throughout her hart slide."
Chaucer: Troilus and Cressoide, bk. v.

*knotte, s. [KNOT, 8.]

knottiness

knot-tl-nĕss, s. [Eng. knotty; -ness.]

1. Lit. The quality or state of being knotty or full of knots.

"By his oaken club is signified reason ruling the appetite; the knottiness thereof, the difficulty they have that seek after virtue."-Peacham: On Drawing.

2. Fig. Difficulty, intricacy, perplexity, complication.

knot-ting, pr. par., a. & s. [KNOT, v.]

A. & B. As. pr. par. & particip. adj.: (See the verb.)

C. As substantive:

I. Ord. Lang.: The act of making knots in or of tying with a knot.

II. Technically:

1. Paint.: A process preliminary to painting, consisting of painting over the knots of wood with redlead, and the stopping of nail-holes, cracks, and faults with white-lead. A silver leaf is sometimes laid over the knots in superior work.

2. Cloth-making: Removing weft-knots and others from cloth by means of tweezers.

knot -ty, *knot-tie, a. [Eng. knot; -y.]

I. Lit.: Full of knots; knotted; having many knots.

"The Cynic raised his knotty staff, and threatened to strike him if he did not depart."-Lewes: History of Philosophy, i. 189.

II. Figuratively:

*1. Rugged, hard, rough.

"When heroes knock their knotty heads together." Rowe: Ambitious Stepmother.

2. Intricate; difficult of solution; involved, perplexing.

"Who tries Messala's eloquence in vain, Nor can a knotty point of law explain." Francis: Horace's Art of Poetry. knot -wõrt, s. [Eng. knot (1), and wort.] Botany:

1. Sing.: Polygonum aviculare. [KNOTGRASS.]

2. Pl.: Lindley's name for the order Illecebraces (q. v.).

knout, s. (Russ. knute a whip, a scourge.] An instrument of punishment used in Russia. It consists of a handle about two feet long, to which is fastened a flat leather thong about twice the length of the handle, terminating with a large copper or brass ring; to this ring is affixed a strip of hide about two inches broad at the ring, and terminating at the end of two feet, in a point. This is soaked in milk and dried in the sun to make it harder, and should it fall, in striking the culprit, on the edge, it would cut like a penknife. The culprit is bound erect to two stakes to receive the specified number of lashes, and the tail of the knout is changed at every sixth stroke.

Knout.

knout, v. t. [KNOUT, 8.] To punish or flog with the knout or whip.

know, knowe (past tense knew, *kneu, pa. par. known, *knowen), v. t. & i. [A. S. cnawan (pa. t. cnéow, pa. par. cnáwen); cogn, with Icel. kna = to know how, to be able; O. Sax. knégan, in the compound bi-knégan to obtain, to know how to get; O. H. Ger. chnáan, in the compound bi-chnáan; Russ. znati to know; Latin nosco; Gr. gignōskō; Sansc.jna to know. From the same root as CAN, KEN, KEEN, NOBLE, KIN, GENUS, &c. Ger. können =to be able; kennen-to know.]

"Numeration is but the adding of one unit more, and those before and after."-Locke,

giving to the whole a new name, whereby to know it from

4. To recognize by recollection, memory, or description.

"I should know the man by the Athenian garment." Shakesp.: Midsummer Night's Dream, iii. 2.

5. To be convinced of the truth or reality of; to be firmly assured concerning; to have no doubt in the mind regarding.

6. To be acquainted with.

"Not to know me argues yourself unknown."

fate, făt, färe, amidst,

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7. To be familiar with; to have experience of. "He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin." -2 Corinth. v. 21.

8. To understand from learning or study; to have learned; as, The boy knows his lesson.

9. To have sexual intercourse with. "Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare Cain."-Genesis iv. 1.

10. To learn; to be informed of.

"I would know that of your honor."
Shakesp.: Measure for Measure, ii. 1.

"Know of the duke if his last purpose hold." Shakesp.: Lear, v. 1. (2) To be informed of.

"I knew of your purpose."-Shakesp.: Merry Wives of Windsor, v. 5.

2. To know for: To know of; to be acquainted with. (Shakesp.: Henry IV., Pt. II., i. 2.)

3. To know how to: To understand the way to; to be skilled in the way or process of doing anything. 4. To make known: To show; to manifest.

"I'll make thee known."-Shakesp.: Othello, v. 2. To know is a general term; to be acquainted with is particular. We may know things or persons in various ways; we may know them by name only; or we may know their internal properties or characters; or we may simply know their figure; we may know them by report; or we may know them by a direct intercourse; one is acquainted with either a person or a thing, only in a direct manner, and by an immediate intercourse in one's own person. know, knowe, s. [KNOLL, 8.] A rising ground; a hillock.

"Acre for acre of the laigh crofts for this heathery knowe!"-Scott: Antiquary, ch. iv.

know-a-ble, a. & s. [Eng. know; -able.]

A. As adj.: That may or can be known; possible to be known, or understood.

"All the knowable qualities of matter."-Warburton: Bolingbroke's Philosophy.

B. As subst.: That which can be known or understood.

"I doubt not but the opinionative resolver, thinks all these easy knowables, and the theories here accounted mysteries, are to him revelations."-Glanvill: Vanity of Dogmatizing. (Pref.)

know-a-ble-něss, s. [Eng. knowable; -ness.] The quality or state of being knowable; possibility to be known or understood.

know -âll, s. [Eng. know, and all.] A pretender to great knowledge; a wiseacre. (Ironical.) know -ĕr, s. [English know; -er.] One who knows.

"And yet the great knower of hearts ascribes men's resolution to sin to such reasonings as these."-South: Sermons, vol. iv., ser. 4.

know'-ing, pr. par., a. & s. [KNOW.]

A. As pr. par.: (See the verb.)

B. As adjective:

knownothing

know -ing-ly, adv. [Eng. knowing; -ly.]

1. In a knowing manner; with knowledge; con. sciously, intentionally.

"Knowingly converse, or hold familiarity with any per. son suspected of heresy."-Strype: Memorials; Henry VIII, (an. 1527).

*2. By experience.

"Did you but know the city's usuries,
And felt them knowingly."

Shakesp.: Cymbeline, iii. 2 know -ing-ness, s. [Eng. knowing; -ness.] The quality or state of being knowing; the state of hav ing knowledge.

"Such empirical knowingness (not omniscience)."— Strauss: Life of Jesus (ed. Evans), ii. 46.

*know-leche, v. t. [KNOWLEDGE, v.] *know-leche, s. [KNOWLEDGE, 8.] knowl' - ĕdge, know' - lědge, *know - leche, *know - el-iche, *knaul - age, *knaul-eche, *knaw-lage, *know-lege, s. [English know; suff. -ledge, lege--leche, for-leke, from Icel. -leikr,-leiki; Sw. -lek, as in kærleikr-love, a suffix_used to form abstract nouns, as ness in modern English. A. S. -lác(=mod. -lock, as in wedlock), is cognate to Icel. -leikr.]

1. Certain or clear perception of truth or fact; indubitable apprehension; cognizance.

erally in the plural.). †2. That is or may be known; a cognition. (Gen.

3. Acquaintance with any fact or person; familiarity, intimacy.

"From mine eyes may knowledge I derive." Shakesp.: Sonnet 14. *4. Cognizance, notice. "Why have I found grace in thine eyes that thou shouldst take knowledge of me?"-Ruth ii. 10.

5. Skill in anything; dexterity gained by actual experience.

"Shipmen that had a knowledge of the sea.”—1 Kings ix. 27.

6. Learning, mental accomplishment, erudition, science.

"Learning is the knowledge of the different and con tested opinions of men in former ages." ."-Sir W. Temple: Of Ancient and Modern Learning.

7. Information, notice; as, It was brought to his knowledge. *8. Sexual intercourse.

Knowledge is a general term which simply im plies the thing known. Science, learning, and erudition are modes of knowledge qualified by some collateral idea. Science is a systematic species of knowledge which consists of rule and order; learning is that species of knowledge which one derives instruction; erudition is scholastic knowledge ob from schools, or through the medium of personal tained by profound research.

*knowl' - ĕdge, *knowl-age, *knowl-eche, *knoul-eche, *know-lege, v. t. & i. [KNOWL EDGE, 8.]

A. Trans.: To acknowledge; to avow.

"If thou knoulechist in thi mouth the Lord Jesu Crist and bileuist in thin herte."-Wycliffe: Romaynes, 1. B. Intrans.: To acknowledge; to confess. *knowl-ědge-a-ble, a. [Eng. knowledge; -able.] 1. Cognizable.

2. Educated; intelligent. (Prov.)

knowl-ton'-I-a, s. [Named after Thomas Knowl ton, once Curator of the Botanic Gardens at Eltham.]

Bot.: A genus of Ranunculaceae, sub-tribe Anemone. Sepals five; petals five to fifteen; stamens and ovaries many, becoming numerous, one-seeded, succulent fruits. The leaves of Knowltonia vesi

2. Intelligent, conscious.

"You have heard, and with a knowing ear, That he which hath your noble father slain, Pursued my life." Shakesp.: Hamlet, iv. 7. 3. Skillful, well-instructed, well-informed, experi4. Sharp, cunning; as, He is a knowing fellow. 5. Expressive of cunning or sharpness; as, a knowing look.

enced.

6. Well-appointed; fashionable.

"Drove about town in very knowing gigs." -Miss Austen: Sense and Sensibility, ch. xix.

*C. As substantive:

1. Knowledge.

marîne; gō, pot,