knotty

[ not-ee ]
/ ˈnɒt i /

adjective, knot·ti·er, knot·ti·est.

having knots; full of knots: a knotty piece of wood.
involved, intricate, or difficult: a knotty problem.

Origin of knotty

First recorded in 1200–50, knotty is from the Middle English word cnotti. See knot1, -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM knotty

knot·ti·ly, adverb knot·ti·ness, noun un·knot·ty, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for knotty

British Dictionary definitions for knotty

knotty
/ (ˈnɒtɪ) /

adjective -tier or -tiest

(of wood, rope, etc) full of or characterized by knots
extremely difficult or intricate

Derived forms of knotty

knottily, adverb knottiness, noun