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Showing results for knurly. Search instead for nurls.
Synonyms

knurly

American  
[nur-lee] / ˈnɜr li /

adjective

knurlier, knurliest

  1. having knurls or knots; gnarled.

knurly British  
/ ˈnɜːlɪ /

adjective

  1. a rare word for gnarled

"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

Etymology

Origin of knurly

First recorded in 1595–1605; knurl + -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With his knurly forefinger at his puckered forehead he sat and pondered.

From The Skipper and the Skipped Being the Shore Log of Cap'n Aaron Sproul by Day, Holman

On the side next the hill, it was sufficiently guarded by the crooked branches of a knurly and scrubby oak tree, that grew on the very edge of the ravine.

From An Old Sailor's Yarns by Ames, N. (Nathaniel)

"Well, I swow!" ejaculated the Cap'n, rubbing his knurly forefinger under his nose, and glancing first at the parrots and then at the lady.

From The Skipper and the Skipped Being the Shore Log of Cap'n Aaron Sproul by Day, Holman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.