knuckle

[ nuhk-uh l ]

/ ˈnʌk əl /

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.

Nearby words

knt., knub, knubbly, knubby, knuck, knuckle, knuckle ball, knuckle down, knuckle joint, knuckle pads, knuckle sandwich

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 forms

knuck·ly, adjective

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

British Dictionary definitions for knuckle down (1 of 2)

knuckle down

verb

(intr, adverb) informal to apply oneself diligentlyto knuckle down to some work

British Dictionary definitions for knuckle down (2 of 2)

knuckle

/ (ˈnʌkəl) /

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

Derived Forms

knuckly, adjective

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

Medicine definitions for knuckle down

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 down (1 of 2)

knuckle down

Apply oneself seriously to some task or goal, as in The professor insisted that we knuckle down and get our papers in by Friday. Both this term and the rhyming synonym buckle down date from the 1860s, but the precise allusion in either is unclear.

See knuckle under.

Idioms and Phrases with knuckle down (2 of 2)

knuckle

In addition to the idioms beginning with knuckle

knuckle down
knuckle under

also see:

rap someone's knuckles