Definition and pronunciation
knot — noun & verb: (n.) a fastening made by tying a rope, cord, or string; a lump or hard spot (wood, muscle); a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour; a tight group (“a knot of people”). (v.) to tie or tangle into a knot.
Pronunciation: US /nɑt/.
Easy explanation
A knot is a tie that holds things together. We also call a hard bump a knot (in wood or muscles) and use knots to measure speed at sea or in the air.
Part of speech and grammar
- Noun: knot; plural knots
- Verb: knot, knots, knotted, knotting
- Derivatives: knotty (tricky or full of knots), knotted (tied/tangled), unknot (untie), knotwork (decorative patterns)
Register and tone
Neutral and widely used—in crafts, sports, medicine, woodworking, math, and idioms.
Connection to sexuality
Indirect. The idiom tie the knot means “to marry.” In discussions of rope play, knots appear as technical skills; those contexts must stress consent, safety, and proper training. The everyday word knot itself does not mean a sexual act.
Common collocations
square knot, reef knot, bowline knot, slipknot, clove hitch, sheet bend; knot strength; knot in the rope/wood; muscle knot; knot in one’s stomach; a knot of people; travel at 15 knots; tie a knot; undo/untie a knot
Idioms and expressions
- tie the knot — get married.
- tie someone in knots — confuse or fluster them.
- a knot in one’s stomach — anxiety or dread.
- cut the Gordian knot — solve a complex problem with a bold move.
- get knotted (BrE, rude) — go away; stop bothering me.
- knotted up — tense or tangled.
Prepositions and nuance
- knot in the rope/wood/muscle — location of the lump or tie.
- knot of people/traffic — tight cluster.
- knot at 20 knots — speed.
- knot with a bow/double loop — method.
- knot into a loop — result shape.
Prepositions point to place, group, speed, method, or outcome.
Word comparisons
- knot vs tie — a tie is the act or result; a knot is the specific tangle/fastening.
- knot vs tangle — tangle is messy; a knot can be neat and intentional.
- knot vs noose/bow — a noose/bow are specific knot types.
- knot (speed) vs mph/km/h — 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour (≈1.852 km/h, ≈1.151 mph).
- knotty vs tricky — both mean difficult; knotty is more figurative/literary.
Real-life examples
- Climbers learn to tie a figure-eight knot and a clove hitch for safety.
- The physio treated a knot in my shoulder.
- The yacht cruised at 10 knots along the coast.
- We saw a knot of fans around the stage door.
- The manager cut the Gordian knot by simplifying approvals.
Sample sentences
- Please knot the cord and trim the ends.
- Her stomach knotted up before the interview.
- The wood plank has a dark knot near the center.
- Their plane approached at 140 knots.
- After years together, they decided to tie the knot.
Synonyms
tie, fastening, loop, hitch, bend, tangle, lump, knob (wood), bump, cluster, bunch, draw (sports: tie)
Antonyms
untie, unfasten, loosen, unknot, smooth, straighten, separate, disperse
Related terms
rope, cord, bight, loop, splice, lashing, bowline, reef knot, clove hitch, slipknot, tiebreaker (sports), Gordian knot, knotwork, knot theory (mathematics), nautical mile, mph, km/h, muscle trigger point
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