knead
Americanverb (used with object)
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to work (dough, clay, etc.) into a uniform mixture by pressing, folding, and stretching.
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to manipulate by similar movements, as the body in a massage.
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to make by kneading.
to knead bread.
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to make kneading movements with.
She kneaded her fist into her palm.
verb
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to work and press (a soft substance, such as bread dough) into a uniform mixture with the hands
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to squeeze, massage, or press with the hands
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to make by kneading
Other Word Forms
- kneadability noun
- kneadable adjective
- kneader noun
- kneadingly adverb
- reknead verb (used with object)
- unkneaded adjective
Etymology
Origin of knead
before 950; Middle English kneden, Old English cnedan; cognate with German kneten, Dutch kneden
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.
There are close-ups of hands kneading dough, a snail sliming its way up a window and Cathy prodding a jellied fish with her finger.
From Los Angeles Times
He took that wood and he rolled it around in his hands, like he was kneading bread dough.
From Literature
Mal sat in the shade of a rock, kneading at her legs with sharp little fingers.
From Literature
She often cries silently, letting the tears slide down her face, not bothering to dry them as she stirs a pot of lentil soup or kneads the dough for potato-and.cheese borekas.
From Literature
Cooks in the royal kitchens also advanced the art of naan-making by introducing specialised kneading techniques and adding yeast - a rare ingredient at the time - to make the bread softer and fluffier.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
