knuckle

[nuhk-uh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR knuckle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a joint of a finger, especially one of the articulations of a metacarpal with a phalanx.

the rounded prominence of such a joint when the finger is bent.

a joint of meat, consisting of the parts about the carpal or tarsal joint of a quadruped.

an angle or protrusion at the intersection of two members or surfaces, as in the timbers of a ship or in a roof.

brass knuckles.

a cylindrical projecting part on a hinge, through which an axis or pin passes; the joint of a hinge.

(in a wire mesh) a bend in a wire crossing another wire.

(on a chair arm) one of the ridges left at the front end by longitudinal flutes carved to accommodate the fingers.

Nautical. a pronounced edge formed by a change in the form of the shell of a hull.

verb (used with object), knuck·led, knuck·ling.

to rub or press with the knuckles.

Marbles. to shoot (a marble) from the thumb and forefinger.

Verb Phrases

knuckle down,

to apply oneself vigorously and earnestly; become serious: Just knuckle down for an hour or so and finish the work.
Also knuckle under.to submit; yield.

Origin of knuckle

1325–75; Middle English knokel (akin to Dutch kneukel, German Knöchel), diminutive of a word represented by Dutch knok, German Knochen bone; see -le

Related formsknuck·ly, adjective

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

Related Words for knuckle

defer, surrender, agree, acknowledge, quit, perish, wilt, buckle, yield, bow, cease, capitulate, relinquish, cede, renounce, waive, leave, concede, submit, abandon

Examples from the Web for knuckle

Contemporary Examples of knuckle

As I rub my left hand, I notice a small bruise around the knuckle of my pinkie finger.
After War: Anger, Panic, and Sometimes Peace
Benjamin Tupper
June 26, 2013
The painting, created between 1500 and 1525, features a wealthy woman in a bejeweled collar, also wearing a first knuckle ring.
First Knuckle Rings, Popular During the Renaissance, Return to Fashion
Misty White Sidell
January 31, 2013
“Being new in town, it was really important to focus and knuckle down,” she said of her decision to focus on acting.
‘Game of Thrones’: Esmé Bianco Talks About Ros, Sexposition, Nudity, and More
Jace Lacob
May 18, 2012
He is tough, a Scottish bruiser when it comes to a knuckle fight.
Florida on the Thames
Tina Brown
May 7, 2010
Can we tighten our belts, knuckle down and use that knowledge that our forefathers and mothers gave us?
Meltdown on the Message Boards
The Daily Beast
October 10, 2008

Historical Examples of knuckle

Also with knuckle of veal, and with calf's head boiled plain.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
He now presented his knuckle to the key and received a strong spark.
Little Masterpieces of Science:
Various
A knuckle requires more boiling in proportion to its weight, than any other joint, to render the gristle soft and tender.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Yes, he wants me to strengthen a knuckle—he's spoken considerable about it.
The Flying Mercury
Eleanor M. Ingram
He figured me out as the prodigal son, and wa'n't goin' to knuckle.
They of the High Trails
Hamlin Garland

British Dictionary definitions for knuckle

knuckle

noun

a joint of a finger, esp that connecting a finger to the hand

a joint of veal, pork, etc, consisting of the part of the leg below the knee joint, often used in making stews or stock

the cylindrical portion of a hinge through which the pin passes

an angle joint between two members of a structure

near the knuckle informal approaching indecency

verb

(tr) to rub or press with the knuckles

(intr) to keep the knuckles on the ground while shooting a marble

Word Origin for knuckle

C14: related to Middle High German knöchel, Middle Low German knoke bone, Dutch knok

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

Word Origin and History for knuckle

mid-14c., knokel "finger joint; any joint of the body, especially a knobby one; morbid lump or swelling;" common Germanic (cf. Middle Low German knökel, Middle Dutch cnockel, German knöchel), literally "little bone," a diminutive of Proto-Germanic root *knuck- "bone" (cf. German Knochen "bone).

As a verb from 1740, originally in the game of marbles. To knuckle down "apply oneself earnestly" is 1864 in American English, extended from marbles (putting a knuckle on the ground in assuming the hand position preliminary to shooting); to knuckle under "submit, give in" is first recorded 1740, supposedly from the former more general sense of "knuckle" and here meaning "knee," hence "to kneel." The face-busting knuckle-duster is from 1858 (a duster was a type of protective coat worn by workmen).

knuckle in Medicine

knuckle

[nŭk′əl]

n.

The prominence of the dorsal aspect of a joint of a finger, especially of one of the joints that connect the fingers to the hand.

A rounded protuberance formed by the bones in a joint.

A kink or loop of intestine, as in a hernia.

Idioms and Phrases with knuckle

knuckle

In addition to the idioms beginning with knuckle

knuckle down
knuckle under

also see:

rap someone's knuckles