nock

[ nok ]
See synonyms for nock on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a metal or plastic piece at the end of an arrow, having a notch for the bowstring.

  2. a notch or groove at the end of an arrow into which the bowstring fits.

  1. a notch or groove at each end of a bow, to hold the bowstring in place.

  2. Nautical. throat (def. 6a).

verb (used with object)
  1. to furnish with a nock.

  2. to adjust (the arrow) to the bowstring, in readiness to shoot.

Origin of nock

1
1325–75; Middle English nok(ke) (noun); akin to Dutch nok,Low German nok(ke) tip

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nock in a sentence

  • One he nocked loosely in his bow, then laid the bow where he could grasp it instantly.

    The Story of Geronimo | James Arthur Kjelgaard
  • Niggers jest lay down and give up when anything suddint turns up like extry stomiks but white gals aint nocked out by sich things.

    The Carter Girls | Nell Speed
  • Geronimo nocked the arrow, raised the bow, and needed every ounce of his strength to draw it.

    The Story of Geronimo | James Arthur Kjelgaard
  • Thus nock them all and sandpaper them smooth throughout, rounding the nocked end gracefully.

  • The arrow being nocked on the string, it is ordinarily already six inches drawn across the bow.

British Dictionary definitions for nock

nock

/ (nɒk) /


noun
  1. a notch on an arrow that fits on the bowstring

  2. either of the grooves at each end of a bow that hold the bowstring

verb(tr)
  1. to fit (an arrow) on a bowstring

  2. to put a groove or notch in (a bow or arrow)

Origin of nock

1
C14: related to Swedish nock tip

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