knout

[ nout ]

See synonyms for knout on Thesaurus.com

noun

a whip with a lash of leather thongs, formerly used in Russia for flogging criminals.

verb (used with object)

to flog with the knout.

Origin of knout

1710–20; <French <Russian knut,Old Russian <Old Norse knūtr knot

Words Nearby knout

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

How to use knout in a sentence

It could not have been less severe than the knout of Russia, and we may well believe that slaves died beneath its blows.
The Private Life of the Romans | Harold Whetstone Johnston
He gave himself up to justice, received the knout and was transported for life.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 15, No. 87, March, 1875 | Various
knout and axe made their appearance in the penal code, flesh and blood cheapened in the market of civil life.
The Rise of the Russian Empire | Hector H. Munro
Tyranny, misery, and the knout are the chief ingredients of the savoury dish.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 393, July 1848 | Various
If he is accused of having harboured a fugitive like me, and cannot give an account of me, the knout and Siberia will be his fate.
Fred Markham in Russia | W. H. G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for knout

knout

/ (naʊt) /

noun

a stout whip used formerly in Russia as an instrument of punishment

Origin of knout

C17: from Russian knut, of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse knūtr knot

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

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