Pa. t. and pa. pple. kneaded. Forms: see below. [Orig. a strong vb.: OE. cnedan, pa. t. cnæd, pl. cnǽdon, pa. pple. cneden, = OS. knedan (found in pa. pple. giknedan: MDu. and Du. kneden), OHG. chnetan, cnetan (MHG. kneten, Ger. kneten):—OTeut. type *kned-, knad-, knǽdum, knedano-. A different formation of the present stem, with weak grade of root-vowel, appears in ON. knoða (Norw. knoda, Sw. knåda); cf. troða = Goth. trudan, to TREAD.
The modern form knead corresponds in spelling to tread:—OE. tredan, but has the original short unstopped vowel lengthened to (ī) as in mead, eat, meat. In some dialects, e.g., in Sc., the e remains short (ned) as in tread. The pa. t. *knad does not appear to be known in ME., where also the pa. pple. kneden was partly displaced by knoden (cf. trodden; also, ONorthumbr. ȝecnoeden); and eventually both pa. t. and pple. assumed the weak form kneaded. The shortened pa. pple. kned (knead) might arise out of either kneden, or kneded (kneaded).]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. Present stem. 1 cnedan, 2–4 -en, 4–5 kneden, -yn, 5 cnede, 5–6 knede, 6–7 kneade, 6–8 kneed, (6–8 kned), 6– knead.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., III. 134. Nim cumin and merces sæd and cnede to þan hlafe.
c. 1200. [see B. 1].
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 279/1. Knedyn paste, pinso [v.r. pistrio].
14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 594/23. Malaxo, to cnede.
1535. Coverdale, Jer. vii. 17. The fathers kyndle the fyre, the mothers kneade the dowe, to bake cakes.
15[?]. Wyfe of Auchtermuchty, v. First ye sall sift, and syne sall kned.
1573–80. Baret, Alv., K 91. To knead dowe: waxe: or other things, depso.
1606. Knede [see B. 3].
1653. Walton, Angler, viii. 171. You may kneade with your Paste … white or yellowish wool.
2. Pa. t. α. 1 *cnæd, pl. cnǽdon, 2–4 *knad, 4 *knod. β. 6 kneed, kneded, 7– kneaded.
1537. Bible (Matthew), 1 Sam. xxviii. 24. The woman … toke flower & kneed it.
1539. Bible (Great), ibid. The woman … toke flowr and kneded it.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Worthy Commun., ii. § 2. 134. The fine meal that Sarah kneaded for the Angels entertainment.
3. Pa. pple. a. 1 ʓecnoeden, cneden, 2–4 (i-) cneden, 5 kneden, 7 knedden, β. 4–6 knoden, (-yn, -on), 5–7 (dial. –9) knodden, 6 knodde. γ. 5 knedid, 6 knedded, (knoded), 7 kneeded, 7– kneaded. δ. 4–5 ikned(de, 5 knedde, 5–7 kned, 7 knead.
α. c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Luke xiii. 21. Dærste ꝥ … wif gehydeð in meolo … oððæt sie ʓedærsted vel ʓecnoeden [c. 975 Rushw. Gosp. cneden] all.
13[?]. Propr. Sanct. (Vernon MS.), in Herrig’s Archiv, LXXXI. 83/31. Þenne is hit … grounden to mele, ffeire I-kneden.
1495. Trevisa’s Barth. De P. R., XVII. lxvii. 643. Mele … kneden and moulde to shape of louys and bake.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 472. Verie choice earth … verie cleane and verie well kneaden.
β. c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 223. Þat þis be not knodyn … in þe whete flour.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 280/1. Knodon, pistus.
14[?]. Noble Bk. Cookry (1882), 47. A paist of pured flour knoddene with mylk of almondes.
1550. Lever, Serm., at Shrouds (Arb.), 46. Wheate … knoden into dough.
1550. Veron, Godly Sayings (1846), 39–40. When ye were baptized, ye were as a man should say, knode together.
1562, 1688. Knodden [see B. 1].
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., s.v., Clay or any soft substance is said to be knodden when indented with the fingers.
γ. c. 1490. Promp. Parv., 280/1 (MS. K.). Knedid, pistus.
1550. R. Hutchinson, Image of God, vii. (1842), 37. The liquor of water knoded into dough.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., Irel., 88. Hauing well nighe knedded the dough.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1705), 289. No Creature that’s kneeded of Clay.
1819. Kneaded [see B. 2].
δ. 1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., xvii. 67 (MS. Bodl.), lf. 206/2. Mele … is iknedde and ymolded to þe schap of loues and ibake.
c. 1400. Kned [see B. 2].
1625. Tuke, Conc. Holy Enchar., in Farr, S. P. Jas. I. (1848), 313. Wheat-flower, ground with man’s hand, and knead.
1657. Trapp, Comm. Esther vii. 6. Dirt kned with blood.
B. Signification.
1. trans. To mix and work up into a homogeneous plastic mass, by successively drawing out, folding over, and pressing or squeezing together; esp. to work up (moistened flour or clay) into dough or a paste; to make (bread, pottery, etc.) by this process.
c. 950. [see A. 3 α].
c. 1000. [see A. 1].
c. 1200. Ormin, 1486. Siþþenn winndwesst tu þin corn,… and grindesst itt, and cnedesst itt.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 174. He half a busshel of hir flour hath take, And bad his wyf go knede it in a cake.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. cxlvii[i]. (MS. Bodl.), lf. 228 b/1. Storase … moche and grete in quantite … may be tempered and made rowe wiþ handelinge and knedinge in hande.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 160. Hellebore … knodden wyth mele and honye.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 166. Maides, three a clock, knede, lay your bucks, or go brew.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. vi. § 56. A Simnell is a thick copped cake, or loaf made of white bread, knodden up with saffron and currans.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 331. Courser Wool of their Sheep stand[s] them in some stead, they kneading it into Felts.
1796. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, xiv. 263. Take some flour and knead it with oil.
1878. Smiles, Robt. Dick, iii. 18. The flour is mixed with yeast and salt and water laboriously kneaded together.
2. fig. a. To blend, incorporate, weld together, or reduce to a common mass, as if by kneading. b. To manipulate, mold, shape, form, as by kneading.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4811. It [love] is a sykenesse of the thought, Annexed and kned bitwixe tweyne.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 45. Had gods or fortun no such course destenye knedded.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, I. Introd. 12/2. No earth or other Orb as yet kned together.
1819. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., I. 614. Mighty realms … Whose sons are kneaded down in common blood.
1848. H. Rogers, in Edin. Rev., April, 329. Inconsistencies … incapable … of being kneaded into any harmonious system.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), I. vii. I. 15. Knead and shape her to your thought.
3. transf. To operate on or manipulate by an action similar to that in working dough, etc. Said esp. in reference to massage.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., II. iii. 231. I will knede him, Ile make him supple.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 121. Kneads his flesh.
1861. Geo. Eliot, Silas M., v. 76. He turned his bed over, and shook it, and kneaded it.
1898. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., V. 997. The muscles of the extremities and of the thorax should be gently kneaded.
Hence Kneaded, Kneading ppl. adjs.; also Kneadingly adv., in the manner of one who kneads.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., III. i. 121. I, but to die!… This sensible warme motion, to become A kneaded clod.
1738. G. Lillo, Marina, II. i. 23. To bury kneaded earth for dead Marina.
1818. L. Hunt, Foliage, Nymphs. She … pressed kneadingly, As though it had been wine in grapy coats.
1860. J. F. Campbell, Tales W. Highland (1890), I. 163. He reached the kneading wife.
