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
Example sentences from the Web for knuckles
British Dictionary definitions for knuckles
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 knuckles
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 knuckles
knuckle