knuckle
a joint of a finger, especially one of the articulations of a metacarpal with a phalanx.
the rounded prominence of such a joint when the finger is bent.
a joint of meat, consisting of the parts about the carpal or tarsal joint of a quadruped.
an angle or protrusion at the intersection of two members or surfaces, as in the timbers of a ship or in a roof.
a cylindrical projecting part on a hinge, through which an axis or pin passes; the joint of a hinge.
(in a wire mesh) a bend in a wire crossing another wire.
(on a chair arm) one of the ridges left at the front end by longitudinal flutes carved to accommodate the fingers.
Nautical. a pronounced edge formed by a change in the form of the shell of a hull.
to rub or press with the knuckles.
Marbles. to shoot (a marble) from the thumb and forefinger.
knuckle down,
to apply oneself vigorously and earnestly; become serious: Just knuckle down for an hour or so and finish the work.
Also knuckle under. to submit; yield.
Origin of knuckle
1Other words from knuckle
- knuckly, adjective
Words Nearby knuckle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use knuckle in a sentence
Use your tape and measure the width of your hand at your knuckles.
He also did not turn himself into law enforcement, she said, and instead was found at his sister’s home in Macon, 75 miles from home, with brass knuckles, multiple guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Prosecutors want defense attorney, ex-Sacramento GOP leader charged in Capitol siege to remain detained | Rachel Weiner, Spencer Hsu | January 21, 2021 | Washington PostAs a variant, keep your eyes looking forward and glide your knuckles down toward your shoulder in a straight line.
A step-by-step guide to giving yourself a massage | Sandra Gutierrez G. | January 14, 2021 | Popular-ScienceGlide your knuckles down slowly, applying constant pressure.
A step-by-step guide to giving yourself a massage | Sandra Gutierrez G. | January 14, 2021 | Popular-ScienceI’ve knocked on wood so many times since March that my knuckles are covered in callouses.
Should I be giving my little girl a bigger dose of reality about the pandemic? | Scott Neumyer | October 30, 2020 | Washington Post
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, my third book, changed my life and put me on bare-knuckle terms with my abilities.
The Stacks: How The Berlin Wall Inspired John le Carré’s First Masterpiece | John le Carré | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf you think of yourself as more than a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, you can stand up and be respectful.
How could it be that this word, and not “what” or “why,” has caused a bare-knuckle brawl at such a stratospheric social level?
I like the term knuckle dragger, but I don't want to cast any undeserved slurs at Neanderthals.
No Denial From Bret Stephens Re. Yeshiva University Panel Slurs | Lisa Goldman | October 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIn Silicon Valley it's a war for talent—an all-out knuckle-drag war.
He had their undivided attention in a moment, without the rapping of Miss Carringtons hard knuckle on the table top.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. MorrisonBobby said that that knuckle of Gee Gees middle finger had been abnormally developed by continued bringing the class to order.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. MorrisonBy chance he heard us warned for guard, and at once went to his tent and returned with a ham knuckle.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie | George Brenton LaurieThree were used at a time, thrown from the fritillus, as were the knuckle-bones (Fig. 132), but the sides counted that came up.
The Private Life of the Romans | Harold Whetstone JohnstonIf this rounding is carried to excess we get the knuckle thread shown at (d).
An Introduction to Machine Drawing and Design | David Allan Low
British Dictionary definitions for knuckle
/ (ˈnʌkəl) /
a joint of a finger, esp that connecting a finger to the hand
a joint of veal, pork, etc, consisting of the part of the leg below the knee joint, often used in making stews or stock
the cylindrical portion of a hinge through which the pin passes
an angle joint between two members of a structure
near the knuckle informal approaching indecency
(tr) to rub or press with the knuckles
(intr) to keep the knuckles on the ground while shooting a marble
Origin of knuckle
1- See also knuckle down, knuckle under
Derived forms of knuckle
- knuckly, adjective
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with knuckle
In addition to the idioms beginning with knuckle
- knuckle down
- knuckle under
also see:
- rap someone's knuckles
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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