knurled

[nurld]

See more synonyms for knurled on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having small ridges on the edge or surface; milled.
having knurls or knots; gnarled.

Origin of knurled

First recorded in 1605–15; knurl + -ed³

knurl

or nurl

[nurl]

noun

a small ridge or bead, especially one of a series, as on a button for decoration or on the edge of a thumbscrew to assist in obtaining a firm grip.
a knur.

verb (used with object)

to make knurls or ridges on.

Origin of knurl

1600–10; earlier knurle (noun). See knur, -le

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for knurled

bumpy, coarse, gnarled, knobby, knotty, rough

Examples from the Web for knurled

Contemporary Examples of knurled

Savor the perfectly pitched ear required to turn a simple phrase like “a dumpling, some knurled pouch of gristle.”
The Slacker Generation's Swift
Gerald Howard
March 3, 2010

Historical Examples of knurled

As the adjustment is changed on the knurled screw a difference in the idling of the engine should be noticed.
Aviation Engines
Victor Wilfred Pag
Upon its circumference is a knurled or milled nut c, which is threaded internally to receive the threaded wings of the bush b.
Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II
Joshua Rose
To operate d it is knurled or milled at g, or it may have pin spanner holes as at h.
Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II
Joshua Rose
A knurled locking nut is also provided for holding the scriber in any fixed position.
Measuring Tools
Unknown
This head may be secured in any desired position by means of a knurled thumb nut.
Measuring Tools
Unknown

British Dictionary definitions for knurled

knurl

nurl

verb (tr)

to impress with a series of fine ridges or serrations

noun

a small ridge, esp one of a series providing a rough surface that can be gripped

Word Origin for knurl

C17: probably from knur

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 knurled

knurl

"hard excrescence," c.1600, probably a diminutive of Middle English knor "knot" (c.1400), related to gnarl, from Proto-Germanic *knur- (cf. German knorren "a knotty excrescence"). Related: Knurly.