knit
Americanverb (used with object)
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knits,
present (3rd person singular)
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knitted,
past participle, past
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knit,
past participle, past
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knitting
present participle
-
Knitting. to make (a garment, fabric, etc.) by interlocking loops of one or more yarns either by hand with knitting needles or by machine.
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to join closely and firmly, as members or parts (often followed bytogether ).
The tragedy knitted the family closer together.
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to contract into folds or wrinkles.
to knit the brow.
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to form or create from diverse sources or elements.
She knitted her play from old folk tales and family anecdotes.
verb (used without object)
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knits,
present (3rd person singular)
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knitted,
past participle, past
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knit,
past participle, past
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knitting
present participle
-
to become closely and firmly joined together; grow together, as broken bones do.
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to contract into folds or wrinkles, as the brow.
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to become closely and intimately united.
noun
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fabric produced by knitting.
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a knitted garment.
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a style or type of knitting.
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the basic stitch in knitting, formed by pulling a loop of the working yarn forward through an existing stitch and then slipping that stitch off the needle.
verb
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to make (a garment, etc) by looping and entwining (yarn, esp wool) by hand by means of long eyeless needles ( knitting needles ) or by machine ( knitting machine )
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to join or be joined together closely
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to draw (the brows) together or (of the brows) to come together, as in frowning or concentrating
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(of a broken bone) to join together; heal
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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knitsimple
-
knitssimple
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have knitperfect
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have knittedperfect
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has knitperfect
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has knittedperfect
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am knittingprogressive
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are knittingprogressive
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is knittingprogressive
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have been knittingperfect progressive
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has been knittingperfect progressive
Past
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knitsimple
-
knittedsimple
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had knitperfect
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had knittedperfect
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was knittingprogressive
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were knittingprogressive
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had been knittingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of knit
before 1000; Middle English knitte, Old English cnyttan to tie; cognate with German knütten; see knot 1
Explanation
If you decide to knit a sweater, you will need yarn, knitting needles, an instruction manual, and lots of patience! Knitting involves different kinds of stitches or consecutive loops that you create in rows. The verb is derived from the Old English cnyttan, meaning “to tie with a knot, bind or fasten.” While knitting can also be completed with a machine, many people knit hats, scarves, and mittens as a hobby. Knit can also mean “entwine.” Two ideas or concepts can be knit together, and it could be said that a marriage knits two people together. Note that the ‘k’ at the beginning is silent.
Vocabulary lists containing knit
A Recipe for Success: Thanksgiving Cooking Words
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Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Even when you have got that, trying to knit every player together takes time, and that is still De Zerbi's issue now.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
“It used to be a very close knit group of film critics, and now it’s kind of expanded because people have more of a voice on the internet.”
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
His father was killed at the bitter end of the war, fighting for Marshal Tito, the leader who managed to knit together the multi-ethnic state of Yugoslavia and suppress simmering enmities.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
It strongly suggests a head with either blond Jheri-curls or wearing a heavy-gauge knit cap.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
He leaned forward, brows knit, and then, quite suddenly, his foggy eyes became intelligent and alert.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
This meant vintage Levi’s, worn tees, thrift-store knits, “pieces that feel inherited or accumulated over time.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
In keeping with the tradition of Yuletide pullovers, Yiayia knits a bright-red Christmas sweater adorned with tassels and bells for her grandson’s dog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
These knits have become synonymous with the holiday season.
From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2024
Stone knits puppets and vaudeville acts, songs and somersaults, as well as melds two groups of people who might not have shared a lunch table in high school — the jocks and the theater geeks.
From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024
At breakneck speed Ashima knits sweater-vests for her father, her father-in-law, her brother, her three favorite uncles.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Ten years of the “pussyhat”: One of the most memorable—and controversial—symbols of the resistance to Trump’s first term in office was a knitted pink hat made to look like cat ears.
From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2026
Boys and men wear big knitted caps and grow the hair from their temples into long locks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
These conductive fibers transformed the knitted structures into soft, stretchable electric switches that change electrical state when the fabric snaps from one configuration to another.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
"Instead, their lives will be knitted into the narrative that everything they did transformed China into what it is now, rather than dwell on any other 'What If's'."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The babies were alike as two peas in a pod, and nestled against each other just as they had in the womb, snug in the blankets that had been knitted just for them.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
The shift toward “advanced packaging” in the chip world—a term referring to a variety of strategies for knitting together pieces of silicon into one big chip—has long been building.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
“Hey quick question has your artist ever seen knitting or crochet?” a user replied.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
But it does make mistakes when Vera wants to talk about knitting, often mishearing essential words and offering conversations on "biscuits and cakes" and "music, television, the garden or something else".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
It is crucial to the city’s long-term plan of knitting together 300 miles of bikeways by 2040 to bring bicycle culture to Long Beach, as well as create safer streets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
“They'll probably take your knitting needles if you don't.”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
