A knot or bow of ribbon tied in a peculiar way, supposed to be a love token. Also, a representation of such a knot. Cf. true love knot.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 197. He hadde of gold ywroght a ful curious pyn: A loue knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
1598. Marston, Pygmal., III. 149. His windows strow’d with Sonnets, and the glasse Drawne full of love-knots.
1842. Tennyson, Talking Oak, 65. Leg and arm with love-knots gay.
1877. W. Jones, Finger-ring, 371. The circular box on the top … contains a sort of love-knot.
b. fig. and allusive.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVIII. 127. Lyf, and loue, and leaute in o by-leyue and lawe, A loue-knotte of leaute and of leel by-leyue.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, III. (1590), 263 b. If it were a bondage, it was a bondage onely knitte in loue-knots.
c. 1600. F. Davison, Ps. cxxxii. in Farr, S. P. Eliz. (1845), II. 328. Where this love-knot remaines vnbroken, God heapes of blisse doth send.
