kneestead 
kneestead (ne'sted), n. The place of the knee. 
| I'rov. Eng. ] 
HOR'I! to the kneestead. 
Greene, Versus against the ilentlewomen of Sicilia, 
knee-Stop (mVstop), . In the reed-Ofgftn and 
harmonium, a lover operated IPV the 1 jicrforni- 
cr's km'.', for regulating tin- wind-supply, for 
opening or shutting the box in which the reeds 
are placed, or for temporarily drawing all the 
stops, so as to produce crescendo and diminu- 
endo effects. Also called /.< r-xn < -II. 
knee-Strap (no'strap), n. Iu a railroad-car, a 
wrought-iron facing to a knee-timber, connect- 
ing the end-sill and the stirrup or drawbar car- 
ry-iron. Car-liitildvr'x Diet. 
kneestring (nu'string), . A hamstring. Ad- 
(lison. 
knee-swell (mVswel), n. Same as kttee-stop. 
knee-timber (n6'thn*Mr), n. 1. Timber or a 
timber of a bent or angular shape, suitable for 
making a knee in ship-building, etc. See knee, 
3 (a). 
Such [envious] dispositions are the very errors of human 
nature, and yet they are the fittest timber to make great 
Politiques of, like to knee-tunber, that is good for ships 
that are ordained to be tossed, but not for building houses 
that shall stand firm. Bacon, Goodness. 
2. In a railroad-car, a deep platform-sill, cut 
away to embrace the end-sill. Car-Builder's 
Diet. 
knee-tribute (ne'trib'ut), . Tribute paid by 
kneeling. 
Reeeive from us 
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile ! 
Milton, P. L., v. 782. 
knee-worship (ne'we**' ship), . Worship paid 
by kneeling. 
knell (nel), v. [< ME. knellen, knillen, knyllen, 
knullcn, < AS. enyllan (ONorth. also cnyllsan), 
knock (on a door), prob. also strike a bell: a 
weak verb; of. MHG. "knellen (in comp. er-knel- 
len) (a strong verb, pret . *knal, pp. "geknollen), G. 
knellen, clap, make a loud noise, = Icel. knylUi, 
beat with a blunt weapon ; cf . D. knellen, pinch, 
squeeze, oppress ; parallel with another series of 
weak verbs, with a more sonorous vowel, ME. 
knollen (for 'knallen, E. knoll) = D. knallen = G. 
knallen = Dan. knakle = Sw. knalla, clap, re- 
sound, give a loud report (cf. Icel. gnella (pret. 
gnall), scream, gnollra, howl, bark) ; words of 
imitative origin, or subject to imitative varia- 
tion, and to be compared with the other imita- 
tive series knack, knap 1 , knock, etc., the forms 
with final I being more suited to express a pro- 
longed resounding noise, and in mod. E. con- 
fined to the slow, resounding peal of a heavy 
bell.] I. trans. If. To strike; knock. 
Ther hy were knulled y the pntfalle, 
This eorles ant barouns. 
Political Songs (ed. Wright), p. 193. 
2t. To toll, as a bell ; ring for or at a funeral ; 
knoll. 
His Brederne and Susters shall come to their Glide- Halle 
togedre, when the more Belle at Powles chirch is knelled. 
English Oilda (E. E. T. s. ), p. 180. 
8. To summon by or as if by a knell. [Poet- 
ical.] 
"Each matin bell," the baron saith, 
" Knell* us back to a world of death." 
Coleridge, Christabel, ii. 
That iron tongue In the tower of yonder old cathedral 
. . . has chimed monarchs to their thrones, and knelled 
them to their tombs. Ecerett, Orations, II. 252. 
II. intrans. 1. To sound, as a bell, especially 
as a funeral bell. 
Not worth a blessing, nor a bell to knell for thee. 
Fletcher, Spanish Curate, Iv. 1. 
At every tate o 1 Annie's horse' mane 
There hang a silver bell ; 
And there came a wind out frae the south, 
Which made them a' to knell. 
Sweet Willie and Fair Annie (Child's Ballads, II. 136). 
Hence 2. To sound as an omen or a warning 
of coming evil. [Rare.] 
Hawks are whistling ; horns are knelling. 
Scott, Hunting Song (1808). 
knell (nel), n. [< ME. knel, knul; < AS. cnyll = 
D. knal = G. knall = Dan. knald = Sw. knall, a 
loud noise; from the verb.] The sound caused 
by striking a bell; especially, the sound of a 
bell rung with solemn slowness at or for a fu- 
neral; a passing-bell. 
The bell Invites me. 
Hear it not, Duncan ; for it is a knell 
That summons thee to heaven or to hell. 
Skak., Macbeth, ii. 1, 63. 
Before thou diest, each minute shall prepare it, 
And ring so many knell* to sad afflictions. 
n-tfher, Wife for a Month, iii. 2. 
knelt (nelt). Preterit and past participle of 
kneel. 
3301 
knenet, An obsolete plural of knee. 
knet't, knettet. Obsolete preterits of knit. 
knet 2 (net). . A variant of knot*. Kir T.Browne. 
[Norfolk, Eng.] 
knettles (netaz), n. pi. See brittle, 2 (6). 
knevel, v. t. See nevel. 
knew (nu). Preterit of know 1 . 
knib (nib), . and >. Another spelling of nib. 
knibber (nib'er), . A young deer when the 
antlers first sprout ; a pricker. Halliwell. 
knickt (nik), v. t. [A var. (= D. knikken = 
MLG. knicki'ii, LG. knikken, knock or break, 
crack slightly) of knack, as click 1 of clack, etc.] 
To knack or knock slightly ; knap ; crack. 
May Margaret site in the queen's boulr, 
Knickiny her fingers ane by ne. 
The Laird o' Logie (Child's Ballads, IV. 110)i 
knicker (nik'er), n. [< D. knikker, marble, < 
knikken, knick: see knick, v.~\ A small ball of 
baked clay used by boys as a marble ; especial- 
ly, such a ball placed between the forefinger and 
thumb, and propelled by a jerk of the thumb 
so as if possible to strike another. 
Knickerbocker (nik'6r-bok-er), . and a. [With 
ref. to Diedrich Knickerbocker, the pretended 
author of Washington Ir ring's ' ' History of New 
York," taken as the typical representative of 
the Dutch settlers in New York, and their de- 
scendants. The name has come to be applied 
to anything regarded as characteristic of Dutch 
New York.] I. n. 1. A descendant of the Dutch 
settlers of New Netherlands. 
When I find New Yorkers of Dutch descent priding 
themselves upon being " genuine Knickerbocker!," 1 please 
myself with the persuasion that I have struck the right 
chord. Irving, Knickerbocker, Author's Apology. 
2. [I. c.] A stout fabric of wool and linen 
having a rough or knotted surface, used for 
women's dresses. 3. [I. c.] pi. Loosely fitting 
knee-breeches resembling those represented as 
worn by the Dutch in the seventeenth century ; 
by extension, the whole dress of the lower limbs 
of which those knee-breeches form part, includ- 
ing the long stocking worn with them; also, 
the whole costume. Knickerbockers are worn 
by young boys, and also by sportsmen, by bi- 
cyclers, and sometimes by travelers. 
Knickerbockers, surely the prettiest boy's dress that has 
appeared these hundred years. 
Thackeray, Roundabout Papers, viii. 
II. a. Pertaining to or regarded as charac- 
teristic of the original Dutch settlers in New 
York, or their descendants. 
knickknack (nik'nak), n. [Also spelled nick- 
nack; a varied reducl. of knack: see knack, n., 
4.] 1. A pleasing trifle ; something more orna- 
mental than useful; a trinket; a toy; a kick- 
shaw ; an unsubstantial dainty : a word of very 
indefinite application, nearly always used iii 
the plural. 
He found me supporting my outward tabernacle, that 
was fatigued, starved, and distempered, with some knick- 
knacks (delicils) at the confectioners. 
X. Bailey, tr. of Colloquies of Erasmus, p. 877. 
2f. A small trick; a deceitful practice. 
But if ye use these knick-knaelri, 
This fast and loose, with faithful men and true, 
You'll be the first will find it. 
Fletcher, Loyal Subject, It 1. 
knickknackatory (nik'nak-a-to-ri), n. [Irreg. 
< knickknack + -atory."] A collection of knick- 
knacks, such as toys or curiosities. [Humor- 
ous and rare.] 
He was single and his house a sort of MMnackatory. 
Roger North, Lord Guilford, II. 252. 
For my part, I keep a knickknackatory or toy-shop. 
Tom Brown, Works, II. 16. 
knickknacker (nik'nak-er), n. A trifler. 
Other kind of knick-knackers there are. 
Breton, Strange News, p. 6. 
knickknackery (nik'nak-er-i), w. [< knick- 
knack + -ery.] The class of things called 
knickknacks; pretty or curious trifles collec- 
tively. 
Tin' good taste of the candelabras and other knick-knack- 
ery. Mark Lemon, Golden Fetters, II. 27. 
knicky-knackers (nik'i-nak'erz), .. pi. Clap- 
pers or bones. See bone 1 , 6 (c), and knacker 1 . 
[Colloq.] 
knidet, v. t. A variant spelling of gnide. 
knife (nif), .; pi. knives (nivz). [< ME. knif. 
/.i// (pi. knives, knyves). < AS. cnif (found but 
once, in a gloss ; the usual word for ' knife ' was 
seax) = D. knijf = MLG. knif, LG. knif (> G. 
kneif; also F. eanif) Icel. knifr = Dan. kiiir = 
Sw. knif, a knife ; cf. MLG. knip, a knife ; MHG. 
Parallel Knife. 
knife-edge 
gnippe, yeniripe, a kind of knife, dagger. Re- 
ferred by Skeat to root of knip, now nip: see 
nip.'] 1. A cutting-instrument consisting of a 
comparatively short blade and a handle, adapt- 
ed for easy use with the hand. Knives are made 
in a great variety of shapes, often with several blades 
which fold Into the handle, and for many uses : as, a clasp- 
knife, pvnknife, pocket-frn^e, bread knife, frult-Jrntfe.graft- 
ing-knife, oyster knife, splitting-<-^>. Many forms of 
knives are described under their special names In the pres- 
ent work. See also phrases below. 
In Sir John Kastolfe's "Bottre," 1455, are "IJ. kerving 
knycc*; iij. kneyvex in a schethe, the haftys of every [ivo- 
ry) withe nay lys gilt ; . . . I. trencher-frnj/e." 
Babees Book (E. E. T. .), p. 120, note. 
A paltry ring, 
That she did give me, whose posy was 
For all the world like cutler's poetry 
Upon a kn\fe, " Love me, and leave me not" 
Shak., M. of V., v. 1, 150. 
With their Knife, which they hold In one hand, they cut 
the meate out of the dish. Coryat, Crudities, L 106. 
2. In a wider sense, any small cutting-tool, or 
any part of a tool or machine having a sharp 
edge for cutting or scraping: as, the knives of 
a mowing-machine, printing-press, meat-chop- 
per, straw-cutter, etc. 3f. A sword or cutlas; 
a long cutting-weapon. 
Lo 1 there the worthie meed 
Of him that slew Sansfoy with bloody knife. 
Spenter, F. Q., I. iii. 36. 
A pair of knives*, scissors. Dames. 
1 pray, when you write next, to send me ... half a 
dozen pair of knives. Howell, Letters, I. L 14. 
Boarding-knife, a sharp two-edged instrument, used 
principally for cutting the toggle-hole in the blubber of a 
whale, for the purpose of inserting the strap to the rut- 
ting-tackle, so as to hoist up the blanket piece. Boat- 
knife, a knife carried in a whale-boat for cutting a foul 
line. Two such knives are carried in each boat when 
ged, at the head and stern respectively. Dessert- 
__ife, a small knife for table use, generally of silver or 
silver gilt, or plated with silver or nickel, so as not to stain 
with the juice of fruit. Hacking-out knife, a knife 
used by glaziers to cut out the old putty from the rebates 
of a sash when new glass is to be put in. Also called 
hacking-out tool. Half-moon knife. See ha(f-moon 
Parallel knife, two knife-blades set In one handle paral- 
lel to each other, the distance 
between them being regulated 
by screws : used to prepare thin 
sections of some substance for 
examination in the microscope. 
Also called double knife. 
Round knife, (a) An annular disk with the edge turned, 
used by curriers for scraping skins. (6) A saddlers' cut- 
ting-tool with a sharp convex edge. Saddlers' knife, 
a half-round or semicircular knife used in saddlery. 
Short-hair knife, in leather-manvf., a sharp knife for 
taking off the short hairs from hides. Slide-knife, in 
iHiiMrinilinii, a flat knife with a chisel-shaped cutting-face, 
used to pare the edges or thick parts of leather. Table- 
knife, a knife for cutting meat and other food for Indi- 
vidual use at table ; especially, the largest knife used In 
this way. Compare deisert-kmje. Tuning-knife. Same 
as reed-knife. Valentin's knife. Same as parallel knife. 
War to the knife, a war carried on relentlessly; mor- 
tal combat. (See also bowie-knife, plow-knife, reed-kn\fe.) 
knife (nif), v. t.; pret. and pp. knifed, ppr. 
knifing. [<. knife, n.} 1. To atab or kill with a 
knife. Hence 2. To endeavor to defeat in a 
secret or underhand way in an election, as a 
candidate of one's own party. [Political slang, 
U.S.] 
knife-bar (nlf'bar), . In a mowing-machine 
or reaper, same as cutter-bar (b). 
knife-basket (nif 'bas'ket), . A basket used 
for holding knives; especially, a part of the 
furniture of the dining-room or service-room 
used to hold table-knives. 
knife-bayonet (nif'ba'o-net), n. See bayonet. 
knife-blade (nif 'blad), n. [= Icel. knifs-bladh 
= Dan. knivsblad = Sw. knifs blad.'] The cut- 
ting part of a knife. 
knife-board (nif 'bord),. 1. A board on which 
knives are cleaned and polished. 
Haggles rose from the knife-board to the foot-board of 
the carriage ; from the foot-board to the butler's pantry. 
Thackeray, Vanity Fair, xxxvii. 
2. A central double seat running along the top 
of an omnibus from front to rear. [Eng.] 
Here comes the Paddlngton omnibus. . . . Yon will not 
fail to observe that the knifeboard has not yet been in- 
vented. W. Betant, Fifty Years Ago, p. 55. 
knife-box (nif'boks), n. A box used for hold- 
ing knives. 
knife-boy (nif' boi), n. A boy employed to 
clean knives and do other scullion's work. 
How the knife-boy was caught stealing a cold shoulder 
of mutton. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, vt 
knife-dagger (nif'dag'er), n. A name given 
to an ancient weapon with a long and heavy 
blade having one edge and a blunt back. 
knife-edge (nlf'ej), n. The wedge-like piece of 
steel which serves as the axis on the fine edge 
of which a scale-beam, a pendulum, or any- 
