Knot v.

[f. KNOT sb.¹]

  1.  trans. To tie in a knot; to form a knot or knots in; to do up, fasten or secure with a knot.

a. 1547.  Surrey, Æneid, IV. (1557), Ej. Her quyuer hung behinde her back, her tresse Knotted in gold.

1649.  G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. IV., clxiv. Perhaps those Elves Abuse them rather,… And Knot their Hearts in their owne Handkercheife.

1702.  Addison, Dial. Medals, ii. Wks. 1721, I. 515. No costly fillets knot her hair behind.

1832.  Marryat, N. Forster, III. x. 173. The seamen were employed in knotting the rigging.

1833.  J. Rennie, Alph. Angling, 65. Begin with three hairs, put them level at top and knot them.

1842.  Tennyson, St. Sim. Styl., 64. I wore The rope … Twisted as tight as I could knot the noose.

1894.  Hall Caine, Manxman, V. v. 295. A cardboard box, tied about with a string, which was knotted in a peculiar way.

  b.  intr. To form a knot or knots; to be or become tied or twisted into a knot.

1611.  Heywood, Gold. Age, I. i. 15. Henceforth my vnkem’d lockes shall knot in curles.

  2.  intr. To make or knit knots for fringes; to do the fancy work called KNOTTING.

a. 1701.  Sedley, Song, Hears not my Phillis, i. Phillis … Sat and knotted all the while.

1713.  Steele, Guard., No. 41, ¶ 4. Lady Char—te is taken knotting in Saint James’s chapel during divine service.

1824.  Miss Ferrier, Inher., xv. Miss P. gabbled and knotted.

1869.  Rogers, Hist. Gleanings, I. 58. Caroline sat during these recitals, sometimes yawning, sometimes smiling, but always knotting.

  b.  trans. To make or form by this art.

1750.  Mrs. Delany, Life & Corr. (1861), II. 606. Till I have finished a plain fringe I am knotting.

1781.  Mrs. Boscawen, ibid. Ser. II. III. 64. You would contrive to knot them some quipos of remembrance!

  3.  trans. To form protuberances, bosses, or knobs on or in; to make knotty; to emboss; to knit (the brows).

1509.  Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXVII. (Percy Soc.), 195. The gate, Whiche all of sylver was knotted proprely.

1697.  R. Peirce, Bath Mem., II. viii. 372. The Gout had knotted all his Joynts, both of Toes and Fingers.

1844.  Mrs. Browning, Drama of Exile, Poems 1864, I. 28. This Eve … Knots her fair eyebrows in so hard a knot.

1865.  Dickens, Mut. Fr., II. xiv. Bradley Headstone knotted his brows.

  fig.  a. 1541.  Wyatt, Poems (1557), 46. Make plaine thine hart, that it be not knotted With hope or dreade.

  † b.  intr. Of plants: To form knots or nodes; to bud; to form a close head, as clover; to begin to develop fruit; to ‘set’ (= KNIT v. 5 c). Obs.

1611.  Cotgr., Nouer,… also, to knot (as a tree thats in growing).

1651–3.  Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year, I. vi. 78. You must … let it blossom and knot, and grow and ripen.

1658.  Evelyn, Fr. Gard. (1675), 153. The false flowers which will never knot into fruit, are to be nipped off.

1660.  Sharrock, Vegetables, 20. The time of cutting [clover] will be knowne, by observing when it begins to knot.

  4.  trans. To combine or unite firmly or intricately; to associate intimately; to entangle, complicate.

1611.  Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xvi. 657. There were three score thousand of them rebelliously knotted together.

1624.  Bacon, War with Spain, Wks. 1879, I. 536/1. The party of the papists in England are become more knotted, both in dependence towards Spain, and amongst themselves.

1670.  Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1872–5, II. 339. The House also thought fit to adjourn itselfe…. Thus we are not yet knotted.

1859.  Hawthorne, Marb. Faun, xix. The deed knots us together for time and eternity, like the coil of a serpent.

1898.  G. Meredith, Odes Fr. Hist., 29. Thy [armies] clash, they are knotted; and now ’tis the deed of the axe on the log.

  b.  intr. To unite or gather together in a knot; to assemble, congregate; to form a compact mass, to concrete. Obs.

1604.  Shaks., Oth., IV. ii. 62. A Cesterne, for foule Toades To knot and gender in.

1639.  Saltmarshe, Policy, 289. A little Physicke will disperse a gathering Disease, which if it knot, hath more danger and difficulty.

1662.  Pepys, Diary, 24 Aug. A great many young people knotting together, and crying out ‘Porridge!’

  5.  techn. a. To cover the knots in (wood) before painting (see KNOTTING vbl. sb. 4). b. To cover (metal, etc.) with knotting (sense 4 b). c. To remove knots from (cloth, etc.): cf. KNOTTER 2, KNOTTING vbl. sb. 5.

  Knot, obs. form of NOT a., shorn, round-headed.