: either of two sandpipers (Calidris canutus and C. tenuirostris) that breed in the Arctic and winter in temperate or warm parts of the New and Old World
Noun (1)
from the summit we could see knots of houses up and down the river valley
felt a small knot on the back of his head
their business partnership is strengthened by the knot of personal friendship knots of people were quietly chatting around the meeting hall
the situation involved so many legal knots that we decided to get a lawyer Verb
He knotted his tie so that both ends would be the same length.
the extension cords were hopelessly knotted together
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Jeff Bezos and his alive girl, Lauren Sánchez, are finally tying the knot in Venice.—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 June 2025 The couple’s upcoming wedding in Venice is not unprecedented, as the floating city also hosted the wedding of George and Amal Clooney in 2014, when the two tied the knot at the Venice Town Hall.—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Verb
The motifs and borders were knotted in red, blue, black and other shades of cream or natural wool.—Dorothy Armstrong
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025 Your browser does not support the video tag. Oklahoma City needs more efficient offense from Jalen Williams to take Game 4 and knot up this series.—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for knot
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English cnotta; akin to Old High German knoto knot
Noun (2)
Middle English knott
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
: an interlacing of the parts of one or more flexible bodies (as threads or sutures) in a lump to prevent their spontaneous separation see surgeon's knot
2
: a usually firm or hard lump, swelling, or protuberance (as in a muscle or on the surface of a bone) or process
Share