Knavess Knav"ess noun A knavish woman. Carlyle.

Knavish Knav"ish adjective 1. Like or characteristic of a knave; given to knavery; trickish; fraudulent; dishonest; villainous; as, a knavish fellow, or a knavish trick. " Knavish politicians." Macaulay. 2. Mischievous; roguish; waggish.

Cupid is knavish lad,
Thus to make poor females mad.

Shak.

Knavishly Knav"ish·ly adverb 1. In a knavish manner; dishonestly; fraudulently. Holland. 2. Mischievously; waggishly; roguishly. " Knavishly witty." Gayton.

Knavishness Knav"ish·ness noun The quality or state of being knavish; knavery; dishonesty.

Knaw Knaw (na) transitive verb See Gnaw . [ Obsolete] Sir T. More.

Knawel Knaw"el (na"ĕl) noun [ Akin to German knauelk , knäuel , prop., a ball of thread, coil. Confer Clew .] (Botany) A low, spreading weed ( Scleranthus annuus ), common in sandy soil.

Knead Knead (nēd) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Kneaded ; present participle & verbal noun Kneading .] [ Middle English kneden , As. cnedan ; akin to Dutch kneden , German kneten , Swedish knåda , Icelandic knoða ; confer OSlav. gnesti .] 1. To work and press into a mass, usually with the hands; esp., to work, as by repeated pressure with the knuckles, into a well mixed mass, as the materials of bread, cake, etc.; as, to knead dough.

The kneading , the making of the cake, the heating of the oven, and the baking.

Shak. 2. Fig.: To treat or form as by kneading; to beat.

I will knead him : I'll make him supple.

Shak. Kneading trough , a trough or tray in which dough is kneaded. Ex. viii. 3.

Kneadable Knead"a·ble adjective That may be kneaded; capable of being worked into a mass.

Kneader Knead"er noun One who kneads.

Kneadingly Knead"ing·ly adverb In the manner of one kneading.

Knebelite Kne"bel·ite noun [ From Major von Knebel .] (Min.) A mineral of a gray, red, brown, or green color, and glistening luster. It is a silicate of iron and manganese.

Kneck Kneck noun [ Etymol. uncertain.] (Nautical) The twisting of a rope or cable, as it is running out. [ Eng.]

Knee Knee (nē) noun [ Middle English kne , cneo , As. cneó , cneów ; akin to Old Saxon knio , kneo , OFries. knī , G. & Dutch knie , Old High German chniu , chneo , Icelandic knē , Swedish knä , Danish knæ , Goth. kniu , Latin genu , Greek go`ny , Sanskrit jānu , √231. Confer Genuflection .] 1. In man, the joint in the middle part of the leg. 2. (Anat.) (a) The joint, or region of the joint, between the thigh and leg. (b) In the horse and allied animals, the carpal joint, corresponding to the wrist in man. 3. (Mech. & Shipbuilding) A piece of timber or metal formed with an angle somewhat in the shape of the human knee when bent. 4. A bending of the knee, as in respect or courtesy.

Give them title, knee , and approbation.

Shak. Knee breeches . See under Breeches . -- Knee holly , Knee holm (Botany) , butcher's broom. -- Knee jerk (Physiol.) a jerk or kick produced by a blow or sudden strain upon the patellar tendon of the knee, which causes a sudden contraction of the quadriceps muscle; one of the so-called tendon reflexes. -- Knee joint . See in the Vocabulary. -- Knee timber , timber with knees or angles in it. -- Knee tribute , or Knee worship , tribute paid by kneeling; worship by genuflection. [ Obsolete] " Knee tribute yet unpaid." Milton.

Knee Knee (nē) transitive verb To supplicate by kneeling. [ Obsolete]

Fall down, and knee
The way into his mercy.

Shak

Knee jerk Knee jerk (Physiol.) A jerk or kick produced by a blow or sudden strain upon the patellar tendon of the knee, which causes a sudden contraction of the quadriceps muscle.

Knee-crooking Knee"-crook`ing adjective Obsequious; fawning; cringing. " Knee-crooking knave." Shak.

Knee-deep Knee"-deep` adjective 1. Rising to the knees; knee-high; as, water or snow knee- deep .

Grass knee-deep within a month.

Milton. 2. Sunk to the knees; as, men knee- deep in water.

Where knee-deep the trees were standing.

Longfellow.

Knee-high Knee"-high` adjective Rising or reaching upward to the knees; as, the water is knee- high .

Kneebrush Knee"brush` (nē"brŭsh`) noun 1. (Zoology) A tuft or brush of hair on the knees of some species of antelopes and other animals; -- chiefly used in the plural. 2. (Zoology) A thick mass or collection of hairs on the legs of bees, by aid of which they carry the collected pollen to the hive or nest; -- usually in the plural.

Kneecap Knee"cap` noun 1. (Anat.) The kneepan. 2. A cap or protection for the knee.

Kneed Kneed adjective 1. Having knees;- used chiefly in composition; as, in- kneed ; out- kneed ; weak- kneed . 2. (Botany) Geniculated; forming an obtuse angle at the joints, like the knee when a little bent; as, kneed grass.

Kneejoint Knee"joint` noun 1. The joint of the knee. 2. (Machinery) A toggle joint; -- so called because consisting of two pieces jointed to each other end to end, making an angle like the knee when bent.

Kneejointed Knee"joint`ed adjective (Botany) Geniculate; kneed. See Kneed , adjective , 2.

Kneel Kneel intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Knelt or Kneeled ; present participle & verbal noun Kneeling .] [ Middle English knelen , cneolien ; akin to Dutch knielen , Danish knæle . See Knee .] To bend the knee; to fall or rest on the knees; -- sometimes with down .

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.

Acts vii. 60.

As soon as you are dressed, kneel and say the Lord's Prayer.

Jer. Taylor.

Kneeler Kneel"er noun 1. One who kneels or who worships by or while kneeling. Tennyson. 2. A cushion or stool to kneel on. 3. (Eccl. Hist.) A name given to certain catechumens and penitents who were permitted to join only in parts of church worship.

Kneelingly Kneel"ing·ly adverb In a kneeling position.

Kneepan Knee"pan` noun (Anat.) A roundish, flattened, sesamoid bone in the tendon in front of the knee joint; the patella; the kneecap.

Kneepiece Knee"piece` noun A piece shaped like a knee; as, the kneepieces or ears of a boat.

Kneippism Kneipp"ism noun Also Kneipp's or Kneipp

Knell Knell noun [ Middle English knel , cnul , Anglo-Saxon cnyll , from cnyllan to sound a bell; confer D. & German knallen to clap, crack, G. & Swedish knall a clap, crack, loud sound, Danish knalde to clap, crack. Confer Knoll , noun & v. ] The stroke of a bell tolled at a funeral or at the death of a person; a death signal; a passing bell; hence, figuratively, a warning of, or a sound indicating, the passing away of anything.

The dead man's knell
Is there scarce asked for who.

Shak.

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.

Gray.

Knell Knell intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Knelled ; present participle & verbal noun Knelling .] [ Middle English knellen , knillen , As. cnyllan . See Knell , noun ] To sound as a knell; especially, to toll at a death or funeral; hence, to sound as a warning or evil omen.

Not worth a blessing nor a bell to knell for thee.

Beau. & Fl.

Yet all that poets sing, and grief hath known,
Of hopes laid waste, knells in that word, "alone".

Ld. Lytton.

Knell Knell transitive verb To summon, as by a knell.

Each matin bell, the baron saith,
Knells us back to a world of death.

Coleridge.

Knelt Knelt imperfect & past participle of Kneel .

Knew Knew imperfect of Know .

Knicker Knick"er noun [ Dutch knikker .] A small ball of clay, baked hard and oiled, used as a marble by boys in playing. [ Prov. Eng. & U. S.] Halliwell. Bartlett.

Knickerbocker Knick"er·bock`er noun A linsey- woolsey fabric having a rough knotted surface on the right side; used for women's dresses.

Knickerbockers Knick"er·bock`ers noun plural The name for a style of short breeches; smallclothes.

Knickknack Knick"knack` noun [ See Knack .] A trifle or toy; a bawble; a gewgaw.

Knickknackatory Knick"knack`a·to·ry noun A collection of knickknacks. Richardson.

Knickknackery Knick"knack`er·y noun Knickknacks.

Knife Knife noun ; plural Knives . [ Middle English knif , Anglo-Saxon cnīf ; akin to Dutch knijf , Icelandic knīfr , Swedish knif , Danish kniv .] 1. An instrument consisting of a thin blade, usually of steel and having a sharp edge for cutting, fastened to a handle, but of many different forms and names for different uses; as, table knife , drawing knife , putty knife , pallet knife , pocket knife , pen knife , chopping knife , etc.. 2. A sword or dagger.

The coward conquest of a wretch's knife .

Shak. Knife grass (Botany) a tropical American sedge ( Scleria latifolia ), having leaves with a very sharp and hard edge, like a knife. -- War to the knife , mortal combat; a conflict carried to the last extremity.

Knife Knife transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Knifed ; present participle & verbal noun Knifing .] 1. (Hort.) To prune with the knife. 2. To cut or stab with a knife. [ Low]

Knife Knife transitive verb Fig.: To stab in the back; to try to defeat by underhand means, esp. in politics; to vote or work secretly against (a candidate of one's own party). [ Slang, U. S.]

Knife switch Knife switch (Electricity) A switch consisting of one or more knifelike pieces hinged at one end and making contact near the other with flat gripping springs.

Knife-edge Knife"-edge` noun (Mech.) A piece of steel sharpened to an acute edge or angle, and resting on a smooth surface, serving as the axis of motion of a pendulum, scale beam, or other piece required to oscillate with the least possible friction. Knife-edge file . See Illust. of File .

Knifeboard Knife"board` noun A board on which knives are cleaned or polished.

Knight Knight noun [ Middle English knight , cniht , knight, soldier, As. cniht , cneoht , a boy, youth, attendant, military follower; akin to D. & German knecht servant; perhaps akin to English kin .] 1. A young servant or follower; a military attendant. [ Obsolete] 2. (a) In feudal times, a man-at-arms serving on horseback and admitted to a certain military rank with special ceremonies, including an oath to protect the distressed, maintain the right, and live a stainless life. (b) One on whom knighthood, a dignity next below that of baronet, is conferred by the sovereign, entitling him to be addressed as Sir ; as, Sir John. [ Eng.] Hence: (c) A champion; a partisan; a lover. "Give this ring to my true knight ." Shak "In all your quarrels will I be your knight ." Tennyson.

Knights , by their oaths, should right poor ladies' harms.

Shak. » Formerly, when a knight's name was not known, it was customary to address him as Sir Knight . The rank of a knight is not hereditary. 3. A piece used in the game of chess, usually bearing a horse's head. 4. A playing card bearing the figure of a knight; the knave or jack. [ Obsolete] Carpet knight . See under Carpet . -- Knight of industry . See Chevalier d'industrie , under Chevalier . -- Knight of Malta , Knight of Rhodes , Knight of St. John of Jerusalem . See Hospitaler . - - Knight of the post , one who gained his living by giving false evidence on trials, or false bail; hence, a sharper in general. Nares. "A knight of the post , . . . quoth he, for so I am termed; a fellow that will swear you anything for twelve pence." Nash. -- Knight of the shire , in England, one of the representatives of a county in Parliament, in distinction from the representatives of cities and boroughs. -- Knights commanders , Knights grand cross , different classes of the Order of the Bath. See under Bath , and Companion . Knights of labor , a secret organization whose professed purpose is to secure and maintain the rights of workingmen as respects their relations to their employers. [ U. S.] -- Knights of Pythias , a secret order, founded in Washington, d.C., in 1864, for social and charitable purposes. - - Knights of the Round Table , knights belonging to an order which, according to the legendary accounts, was instituted by the mythical King Arthur. They derived their common title from the table around which they sat on certain solemn days. Brande & C.

Knight Knight transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Knighted ; present participle & verbal noun Knighting .] To dub or create (one) a knight; -- done in England by the sovereign only, who taps the kneeling candidate with a sword, saying: Rise, Sir ---.

A soldier, by the honor-giving hand
Of C...ur-de-Lion knighted in the field.

Shak.

Knight bachelor Knight" bach"e·lor ; plural Knights bachelors A knight of the most ancient, but lowest, order of English knights, and not a member of any order of chivalry. See Bachelor , 4.

Knight banneret Knight" ban"ner·et ; plural Knights bannerets . A knight who carried a banner, who possessed fiefs to a greater amount than the knight bachelor, and who was obliged to serve in war with a greater number of attendants. The dignity was sometimes conferred by the sovereign in person on the field of battle.