knotty

[not-ee]

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adjective, knot·ti·er, knot·ti·est.

having knots; full of knots: a knotty piece of wood.
involved, intricate, or difficult: a knotty problem.

Origin of knotty

First recorded in 1200–50, knotty is from the Middle English word cnotti. See knot¹, -y¹

Related formsknot·ti·ly, adverbknot·ti·ness, nounun·knot·ty, adjective

Synonyms

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2. complex, complicated.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for knotty

Contemporary Examples

For anyone looking to dive into the big, knotty history of one of the most iconic states, this book is well worth the time.
How Religion Turned Texas Red
William O’Connor
August 20, 2014
The profession remains a knotty tangle of influences and causations and aggravations and insurers.
Is Psychiatry Being Stumped By the Mental Illnesses It Has to Treat?
Matthew Tiffany
August 10, 2013

Historical Examples

The Sun reported this answer to his council, who debated the question, which was knotty.
The History of Louisiana
Le Page Du Pratz
Its bark is more rough and knotty than that of the palm-tree.
The History of Louisiana
Le Page Du Pratz
If any of them (as sometimes they are) be knotty, I referre them to Chap.
A New Orchard And Garden
William Lawson
He had always meant to settle for himself that knotty question.
A Son of Hagar
Sir Hall Caine
Then when it did come, it was crooked and knotty, much of it such as a woman could not split.
Our Young Folks, Vol 1, No. 1
Various

British Dictionary definitions for knotty

knotty

adjective -tier or -tiest

(of wood, rope, etc) full of or characterized by knots
extremely difficult or intricate

Derived Formsknottily, adverbknottiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for knotty

adj.

mid-13c. (figurative use early 13c.), from knot (n.) + -y (2). Related: Knottiness.

knotty

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}knotty

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for knotty

Contemporary Examples

For anyone looking to dive into the big, knotty history of one of the most iconic states, this book is well worth the time.

The profession remains a knotty tangle of influences and causations and aggravations and insurers.

Historical Examples

The Sun reported this answer to his council, who debated the question, which was knotty.

Its bark is more rough and knotty than that of the palm-tree.

If any of them (as sometimes they are) be knotty, I referre them to Chap.

He had always meant to settle for himself that knotty question.

Then when it did come, it was crooked and knotty, much of it such as a woman could not split.

knotty

Word Origin and History for knotty

adj.

Origin of knotty