Knight baronet Knight" bar"o·net See Baronet .

Knight marshal Knight" mar"shal (Eng. Law) An officer in the household of the British sovereign, who has cognizance of transgressions within the royal household and verge, and of contracts made there, a member of the household being one of the parties. Wharton.

Knight service Knight" serv"ice (Eng. Feud. Law) A tenure of lands held by knights on condition of performing military service. See Chivalry , noun , 4.

Knight service, Knight's service Knight service, Knight's service 1. (Feud. Law) The military service by rendering which a knight held his lands; also, the tenure of lands held on condition of performing military service.

By far the greater part of England [ in the 13th century] is held of the king by knight's service . . . . In order to understand this tenure we must form the conception of a unit of military service. That unit seems to be the service of one knight or fully armed horseman ( servitium unius militis ) to be done to the king in his army for forty days in the year, if it be called for. . . . The limit of forty days seems to have existed rather in theory than practice.

Pollock & Mait. 2. Service such as a knight can or should render; hence, good or valuable service.

Knight Templar Knight" Tem"plar ; plural Knights Templars See Commandery , noun , 3, and also Templar , noun , 1 and 3.

Knight-er-ratic Knight"-er-rat"ic adjective Pertaining to a knight-errant or to knight-errantry. [ R.] Quart. Rev.

Knight-errant Knight"-er`rant noun ; plural Knight-errants , or Knights- errant . A wandering knight; a knight who traveled in search of adventures, for the purpose of exhibiting military skill, prowess, and generosity.

Knight-errantry Knight"-er`rant·ry noun ; plural Knight-errantries The character or actions of wandering knights; the practice of wandering in quest of adventures; chivalry; a quixotic or romantic adventure or scheme.

The rigid guardian [ i. e. , conscience] of a blameless heart
Is weak with rank knight-erratries o'errun.

Young.

Knight's fee Knight's fee (Feudal Law) The fee of a knight; specif., the amount of land the holding of which imposed the obligation of knight service, being sometimes a hide or less, sometimes six or more hides.

Knightage Knight"age noun The body of knights, taken collectively.

Knighthead Knight"head` noun (Nautical) A bollard timber. See under Bollard .

Knighthood Knight"hood noun [ Knight + hood : confer Anglo-Saxon chihthād youth.] 1. The character, dignity, or condition of a knight, or of knights as a class; hence, chivalry. "O shame to knighthood ." Shak.

If you needs must write, write Cæsar's praise;
You 'll gain at least a knighthood , or the bays.

Pope. 2. The whole body of knights.

The knighthood nowadays are nothing like the knighthood of old time.

Chapman. » "When the order of knighthood was conferred with full solemnity in the leisure of a court or court or city, imposing preliminary ceremonies were required of the candidate. He prepared himself by prayer and fasting, watched his arms at night in a chapel, and was then admitted with the performance of religious rites. Knighthood was conferred by the accolade , which, from the derivation of the name, would appear to have been originally an embrace; but afterward consisted, as it still does, in a blow of the flat of a sword on the back of the kneeling candidate." Brande & C.

Knightless Knight"less adjective Unbecoming a knight. [ Obsolete] " Knightless guile." Spenser.

Knightliness Knight"li·ness noun The character or bearing suitable for a knight; chivalry. Spenser.

Knightly Knight`ly adjective [ Anglo-Saxon cnihtlic boyish.] Of or pertaining to a knight; becoming a knight; chivalrous; as, a knightly combat; a knightly spirit.

For knightly jousts and fierce encounters fit.

Spenser.

[ Excuses] full knightly without scorn.

Tennyson.

Knightly Knight"ly adverb In a manner becoming a knight.

And why thou comest thus knightly clad in arms.

Shak.

Knit Knit transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Knit or Knitted ; present participle & verbal noun Knitting .] [ Middle English knitten , knutten , As. cnyttan , from cnotta knot; akin to Icelandic kn...ta , Swedish knyta , Danish knytte . See Knot .] 1. To form into a knot, or into knots; to tie together, as cord; to fasten by tying.

A great sheet knit at the four corners.

Acts x. 11.

When your head did but ache,
I knit my handkercher about your brows.

Shak. 2. To form, as a textile fabric, by the interlacing of yarn or thread in a series of connected loops, by means of needles, either by hand or by machinery; as, to knit stockings. 3. To join; to cause to grow together.

Nature can not knit the bones while the parts are under a discharge.

Wiseman. 4. To unite closely; to connect; to engage; as, hearts knit together in love.

Thy merit hath my duty strongly knit .

Shak.

Come , knit hands, and beat the ground,
In a light fantastic round.

Milton.

A link among the days, to knit
The generations each to each.

Tennyson. 5. To draw together; to contract into wrinkles.

He knits his brow and shows an angry eye.

Shak.

Knit Knit intransitive verb 1. To form a fabric by interlacing yarn or thread; to weave by making knots or loops. 2. To be united closely; to grow together; as, broken bones will in time knit and become sound. To knit up , to wind up; to conclude; to come to a close. "It remaineth to knit up briefly with the nature and compass of the seas." [ Obsolete] Holland.

Knit Knit noun Union knitting; texture. Shak.

Knitback Knit"back` noun (Botany) The plant comfrey; -- so called from its use as a restorative. Dr. Prier.

Knitch, Knitchet Knitch, Knitch"et noun [ Confer Knit .] A number of things tied or knit together; a bundle; a fagot. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

When they [ stems of asphodel] be dried, they ought to be made up into knitchets , or handfuls.

Holland.

Knits Knits noun plural [ Prob. same word as nit a louse's egg.] (Mining) Small particles of ore. Raymond.

Knitster Knit"ster noun A woman who knits. [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Knitter Knit"ter noun One who, or that which, knits, joins, or unites; a knitting machine. Shak.

Knitting Knit"ting noun 1. The work of a knitter; the network formed by knitting. 2. Union formed by knitting, as of bones. Knitting machine , one of a number of contrivances for mechanically knitting stockings, jerseys, and the like. -- Knitting ...eedle , a stiff rod, as of steel wire, with rounded ends for knitting yarn or threads into a fabric, as in stockings. -- Knitting sheath , a sheath to receive the end of a needle in knitting.

Knittle Knit"tle noun [ From Knit .] 1. A string that draws together a purse or bag. [ Prov. Eng.] Wright. 2. plural (Nautical) See Nettles .

Knives Knives noun plural of Knife . See Knife .

Knob Knob noun [ A modification of knop . Confer Nob .] 1. A hard protuberance; a hard swelling or rising; a bunch; a lump; as, a knob in the flesh, or on a bone. 2. A knoblike ornament or handle; as, the knob of a lock, door, or drawer. Chaucer. 3. A rounded hill or mountain; as, the Pilot Knob. [ U. S.] Bartlett. 4. (Architecture) See Knop . Knob latch , a latch which can be operated by turning a knob, without using a key.

Knob Knob intransitive verb To grow into knobs or bunches; to become knobbed. [ Obsolete] Drant.

Knobbed Knobbed adjective Containing knobs; full of knobs; ending in a nob. See Illust of Antenna .

The horns of a roe deer of Greenland are pointed at the top, and knobbed or tuberous at the bottom.

Grew.

Knobber Knob"ber noun (Zoology) See Knobbler .

Knobbing Knob"bing noun (Stone Quarrying) Rough dressing by knocking off knobs or projections.

Knobbler Knob"bler noun (Zoology) The hart in its second year; a young deer. [ Written also knobber .] Halliwell.

He has hallooed the hounds upon a velvet-headed knobbler .

Sir W. Scott.

Knobbling fire Knob"bling fire A bloomery fire. See Bloomery .

Knobby Knob"by adjective [ From Knob .] 1. Full of, or covered with, knobs or hard protuberances. Dr. H. More. 2. Irregular; stubborn in particulars. [ Obsolete]

The informers continued in a knobby kind of obstinacy.

Howell. 3. Abounding in rounded hills or mountains; hilly. [ U.S.] Bartlett.

Knobkerrie Knob"ker`rie noun [ Boer Dutch knopkirie , from Dutch knop- hout, knotty stick + Hottentot kïrri club.] A short club with a knobbed end used as a missile weapon by Kafir and other native tribes of South Africa.

Knobstick Knob"stick` noun One who refuses to join, or withdraws from, a trades union. [ Cant, Eng.]

Knobstick Knob"stick` noun A stick, cane, or club terminating in a knob; esp., such a stick or club used as a weapon or missile; a knobkerrie.

Knock Knock (nŏk) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Knocked (nŏkt); present participle & verbal noun Knocking .] [ Middle English knoken , Anglo-Saxon cnocian , cnucian ; probably of imitative origin; confer Swedish knacka . Confer Knack .] 1. To drive or be driven against something; to strike against something; to clash; as, one heavy body knocks against another. Bacon. 2. To strike or beat with something hard or heavy; to rap; as, to knock with a club; to knock on the door.

For harbor at a thousand doors they knocked .

Dryden.

Seek, and ye shall find; knock , and it shall be opened unto you.

Matt. vii. 7. To knock about , to go about, taking knocks or rough usage; to wander about; to saunter. [ Colloq.] " Knocking about town ." W. Irving. -- To knock up , to fail of strength; to become wearied or worn out, as with labor; to give out. "The horses were beginning to knock up under the fatigue of such severe service." De Quincey. -- To knock off , to cease, as from work; to desist. -- To knock under , to yield; to submit; to acknowledge one's self conquered; -- an expression probably borrowed from the practice of knocking under the table with the knuckles, when conquered. "Colonel Esmond knocked under to his fate." Thackeray.

Knock Knock (nŏk) transitive verb 1. To strike with something hard or heavy; to move by striking; to drive (a thing) against something; as, to knock a ball with a bat; to knock the head against a post; to knock a lamp off the table.

When heroes knock their knotty heads together.

Rowe. 2. To strike for admittance; to rap upon, as a door.

Master, knock the door hard.

Shak. To knock down . (a) To strike down; to fell; to prostrate by a blow or by blows; as, to knock down an assailant . (b) To assign to a bidder at an auction, by a blow or knock; to knock off. -- To knock in the head , or on the head , to stun or kill by a blow upon the head; hence, to put am end to; to defeat, as a scheme or project; to frustrate; to quash. [ Colloq.] -- To knock off . (a) To force off by a blow or by beating. (b) To assign to a bidder at an auction, by a blow on the counter . (c) To leave off (work, etc.) . [ Colloq.] -- To knock out , to force out by a blow or by blows; as, to knock out the brains. - - To knock up . (a) To arouse by knocking . (b) To beat or tire out; to fatigue till unable to do more; as, the men were entirely knocked up . [ Colloq.] "The day being exceedingly hot, the want of food had knocked up my followers." Petherick. (c) (Bookbinding) To make even at the edges, or to shape into book form, as printed sheets.

Knock Knock noun 1. A blow; a stroke with something hard or heavy; a jar. 2. A stroke, as on a door for admittance; a rap. " A knock at the door." Longfellow.

A loud cry or some great knock .

Holland. Knock off , a device in a knitting machine to remove loops from the needles.

Knock Knock intransitive verb To practice evil speaking or fault-finding; to criticize habitually or captiously. [ Vulgar Slang, U. S.]

Knock Knock transitive verb To impress strongly or forcibly; to astonish; to move to admiration or applause. [ Slang, Eng.]

Knock-knee Knock"-knee` noun (Medicine) A condition in which the knees are bent in so as to touch each other in walking; inknee.

Knock-kneed Knock"-kneed` adjective Having the legs bent inward so that the knees touch in walking. [ Written also knack-kneed .]

Knock-off Knock"-off` noun Act or place of knocking off; that which knocks off; specif. (Machinery) , a cam or the like for disconnecting something, as a device in a knitting machine to remove loops from the needles.

Knock-off Knock"-off` adjective That knocks off; of or pertaining to knocking off.

Knock-out Knock"-out` adjective That knocks out; characterized by knocking out; as, a knock-out blow; a knock-out key for knocking out a drill from a collet.

Knock-out Knock"-out` noun Act of knocking out, or state of being knocked out.

Knock-out drops Knock-out drops Drops of some drug put in one's drink to stupefy him for purpose of robbery, etc. [ Slang, U. S.]