a. Having knurls or knots; gnarled. b. Of the nature of a knurl, dwarfish.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., IV. iii. Till by degrees the tough and knurly trunke Be riv’d in sunder.
1610. W. Folkingham, Art of Survey, I. iii. 6. The high timbring Oake … denotates a rich and battle soile;… the knurly, crooked and crabbed harde sparing starueling, bewraies his barren and hungrie bedde.
1758. J. Adams, Diary, 3 Dec., Wks. 1850, II. 51. He is like a little knurly, ill-natured horse, that kicks at every horse of his own size, and sheers off from every one that is larger.
1882. Garden, 18 March, 182/2. It [Newtown Pippin] … is knurly and imperfect at first.
