granny knot

or granny's knot

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noun

an incorrect version of a square knot in which the bights cross each other in the wrong direction next to the end, so as to produce a knot that is insecure.

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Also called lubber's knot.

Origin of granny knot

First recorded in 1850–55; so called in contempt

Words nearby granny knot

granny dress, granny dumping, granny flat, granny glasses, grannyish, granny knot, Granny Smith, granny woman, grano-, granodiorite, granola

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use granny knot in a sentence

There is something irrevocable-feeling about couples tying the knot on the steps of the county courthouse.
Gay Marriage Chaos Begins|Jay Michaelson|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Every day before leaving home, Sara stands before the mirror and tightens the knot on her scarf.
Acid Attacks on Women Spread Terror in Iran|IranWire|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The most famous people in the world tied the knot secretly over the weekend.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Got Married and We’re Worried About Jennifer Aniston|Kevin Fallon, Tim Teeman|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The moment he was finally able to loop a knot by himself was a milestone, his first step to becoming a man.
Miami’s Chris Bosh Goes High Fashion|Justin Jones|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I was aware of it when I was a girl and I often asked Granny about it, but she was very quiet and never said anything.
Kate Middleton’s Code-Breaking Granny: Duchess Uncovers Wartime Secrets|Tim Teeman|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the head they insert a bamboo knot, with its point well sharpened into two edges.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
This is called the "Investiture of the Top-knot," and is always attended by solemn ceremonies.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
In accordance with that statement, he had decided that on the next day his son should be formally "invested" with the top-knot.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
He went down the road, collected his little knot of listeners, and began the Song of the Girl.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
I asked sharply, and MacRae flung the same query over one shoulder as he fumbled at the tight-drawn latigo-knot.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for granny knot

granny knot

granny's knot

noun

a reef knot with the ends crossed the wrong way, making it liable to slip or jam

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