knuckle
[ nuhk-uh l ]
/ ˈnʌk əl /
noun
verb (used with object), knuck·led, knuck·ling.
to rub or press with the knuckles.
Marbles.
to shoot (a marble) from the thumb and forefinger.
Verb Phrases
knuckle down,
- to apply oneself vigorously and earnestly; become serious: Just knuckle down for an hour or so and finish the work.
- Also knuckle under. to submit; yield.
Origin of knuckle
1325–75; Middle English
knokel (akin to Dutch
kneukel, German
Knöchel), diminutive of a word represented by Dutch
knok, German
Knochen bone; see
-le
OTHER WORDS FROM knuckle
knuck·ly, adjectiveWords nearby knuckle
knt.,
knub,
knubbly,
knubby,
knuck,
knuckle,
knuckle ball,
knuckle down,
knuckle joint,
knuckle pads,
knuckle sandwich
British Dictionary definitions for knuckle under (1 of 2)
knuckle under
verb
(intr, adverb)
to give way under pressure or authority; yield
British Dictionary definitions for knuckle under (2 of 2)
knuckle
/ (ˈnʌkəl) /
noun
verb
(tr)
to rub or press with the knuckles
(intr)
to keep the knuckles on the ground while shooting a marble
See also
knuckle down,
knuckle under
Derived forms of knuckle
knuckly, adjectiveWord Origin for knuckle
C14: related to Middle High German
knöchel, Middle Low German
knoke bone, Dutch
knok
Medical definitions for knuckle under
knuckle
[ nŭk′əl ]
n.
The prominence of the dorsal aspect of a joint of a finger, especially of one of the joints that connect the fingers to the hand.
A rounded protuberance formed by the bones in a joint.
A kink or loop of intestine, as in a hernia.
Idioms and Phrases with knuckle under (1 of 2)
knuckle under
Also, knuckle down. Give in, acknowledge defeat, as in The dean refused to knuckle under to the graduate students' demands, or He was forced to knuckle down before their threats of violence. Presumably this idiom alludes to a kneeling position with hands on the ground, knuckles down. [Mid-1700s]
Idioms and Phrases with knuckle under (2 of 2)
knuckle