knuckle
[ nuhk-uhl ]
/ ˈnʌk əl /
noun
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.
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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
OTHER WORDS FROM knuckle
knuckly, adjectiveWords nearby knuckle
Knt., knub, knubbly, knubby, knuck, knuckle, knuckleball, knuckleballer, knucklebone, knucklebones, knuckle down
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for knuckle
British Dictionary definitions for knuckle
knuckle
/ (ˈnʌkəl) /
noun
verb
(tr) to rub or press with the knuckles
(intr) to keep the knuckles on the ground while shooting a marble
See also knuckle down, knuckle under
Derived forms of knuckle
knuckly, adjectiveWord 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
Medical definitions for knuckle
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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Idioms and Phrases with knuckle
knuckle
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.