knead

[ need ]

/ nid /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR knead ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to work (dough, clay, etc.) into a uniform mixture by pressing, folding, and stretching.

to manipulate by similar movements, as the body in a massage.

to make by kneading: to knead bread.

to make kneading movements with: She kneaded her fist into her palm.

Nearby words

knarly, knave, knavery, knavish, knawel, knead, knebworth house, knee, knee action, knee bend, knee brace

Origin of knead

before 950; Middle English kneden, Old English cnedan; cognate with German kneten, Dutch kneden

Related forms

knead·a·ble, adjectiveknead·a·bil·i·ty, nounknead·er, nounknead·ing·ly, adverb

re·knead, verb (used with object)un·knead·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for knead

Mix together then knead to make a soft, smooth, elastic dough.
Unusual Pizza to Cook on Your Grill|Lydia Brownlow|June 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Pour in the chicken stock and knead with your hands until the bread is very moist, actually wet.
Divine Apple Dishes|Anne Burrell|January 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The chocolate is put in large conching machines that spin it though whirling blades to knead it for hours.
Four Chocolate Questions Answered|Mary Goodbody|September 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Beat it well, and knead it quite smooth; roll the paste very thin, and cut it into biscuits.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,|Mary Eaton

Take a lump of clay, about two and a half pounds, knead and pound it until all the air bubbles are worked out.
The Child's Rainy Day Book|Mary White
If it is not stiff enough to roll out, knead in a little flour, if too stiff, put in a little water.
The New England Cook Book, or Young Housekeeper's Guide|Anonymous
They grind and knead and shape clay into artistic pottery and then paint it with colors gleaned from the earth.
I Married a Ranger|Dama Margaret Smith
Knead this until it is smooth and elastic and let it rise until double in bulk.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 4|Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

British Dictionary definitions for knead

knead

/ (niːd) /

verb (tr)

to work and press (a soft substance, such as bread dough) into a uniform mixture with the hands

to squeeze, massage, or press with the hands

to make by kneading

Derived Forms

kneader, noun

Word Origin for knead

Old English cnedan; related to Old Saxon knedan, Old Norse knotha

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