knot-grass 
Knot-grass 
nvitularf. a, flower ; <*. fruit. 
2. By extension, any plant of the genus I'oly- 
gomtm, properly knotweed. 3. In occasional 
use, a plant of some other genus more'or less 
similar, (a) Any of the species of Ittecebrum or Parnny- 
chia; a whitlow-wort (6)A variety of the false oat, Arrhe- 
natheritin aoriuueum, having a knotty rootstock. (Prov. 
Enif. 1 (c) The tlorin grass, Ayrostis mdijaris, var. alba (stnlo- 
iiijinn. [Prov. Eng. I This may be the plant mentioned 
by Milton. 
The chewing flocks 
Had ta'en their supper on the savoury herb 
Of knot-grass dew-besprent. Milton, Oomus, L 642. 
(it) Couch-grass : a use of doubtful appropriateness. 
Bird's knot-grass, a name of Pulyyimuin ariculare, ob- 
tained by translation. Coast or sea knot-grass, /'"'// 
yonum maritimum. Female knot-grass, Lyte's name 
of the common niare's-tall, llippuriit oulyarte. German 
knot-grass, thu knawel, ScteraiUhits animus. Male 
knot-grass, Lyte's name for the common knot-grass, 
Palyganum ariculare, In distinction from female knot- 
t/rass (which sue, above). 
knottet, An obsolete fonu of knot 1 . 
knotted (not'ed), a. [< knot 1 + -d2.] Pull 
of knots ; having knots : knotty. 
The splitting wind 
Makes flexible the knees of knotted oaka. 
Shak., T. and C., L S, 60. 
The many-knotted water-flags, 
That whistled dry and stirt about the marge. 
Tennyson, Passing of Arthur. 
Specifically (o) In bat., having a series of nodes, or node- 
like swellings ; jointed : said of stems, pods, etc. (6) In 
toitl., having one or more swellings; nodose, (c) Having 
Intersecting figures; having lines or walks intersecting 
one another , marked with interfacings. 
Thy curious-*-rtottd garden. Shak., I.. I. I . . i. 1, 249. 
(a) In IttAol.,contalningor characterized by knot*. Knot- 
ted-bar work. Same as wacraine. Knotted lace, > 
name given to the old 
puntn a grappa, a fringe 
or border made of knot- 
ted threads. Macrame 
lace Is ita modern rep- 
resentative. Knotted 
pillar, in arch. , a form 
of pillar sometimes oc- 
curring In the Roman- 
esque style, so carved as 
to appear as if knotted 
In the middle. Knot- 
ted slate or schist. 
i See knotl, 3 (/). 
knotter (not'er), n. 
A fine strainer used 
to clear paper-pulp 
from clots or knots 
as it passes to the 
paper-making ma- 
chine. 
A sieve, or knotter, as 
It Is called, which is 
usually formed of brass, 
having fine slits cut in 
It to allow the commi- 
nuted pulp to pass 
through, While it re- 
tains all lumps and 
knots. 
Ure, Diet, III. 490. 
3307 
2. In clofh-mnnuf,, the operation of removing 
knots from cloths with tweezers. 3. A kind 
of cement especially useful for metals and as a 
covering for protection from the weather. It 
is made with n-il lend, carefully ground, und 
thinned with boiled oil and a little turpentin<-. 
knotting-needle (uofing-ue'dl), n. A needle 
designed for use in making knotting. See knul- 
''";/, 1. 
A bottle-screw, a knotting -needle, u\i a hull of sky-color 
and white knotting. Doran, Annals of Eng. Stage, I. xll. 
knottlet (not'l), . [< MK. /...// (= MLG. 
kitiitii = OH(i. ,-li,iiitil. ,-/,,,,i/til. MI Hi. kniili-l, 
kniittel, G. knuttel), a knot, knob ; dim. of knot 1 , 
.] A knob. [Prov. Eng.] 
He hade a heved lyke a bulle, and knottillei In his f ruunt, 
as thay had belie the t>ygynnyng of homes. 
MS. Lincoln, A. I. 17, f. 1. (UaUimU.) 
knottled (not'ld), a. [< knottle + -<fA] Stunted 
in growth. [Prov. Kng. ] 
knotty (not'i), a. [<I-iio<i + -yi.] 1. Full 
of knots; having many knots. 
In hir right hand (which to and fro did shake) 
She bare a skourge, with many a knoMe string. 
GoKaiynr, Complaint of Phllomene. 
The oak, 
Expanding its immense and knotty arms, 
Embraces the light beach. Shelley, Abutor. 
2. Hard; rugged. 
When heroes knock their knotty heads together. 
Rovx, Ambitious Stepmother. 
Art will prevail where knotty strength denies. 
Qvarleg, Emblems, v. 0. 
3. Difficult; intricate; perplexing; involved. 
You may be sure I was very young, & therefore very 
rash, or ambitious, when I adventur d upon that knotty 
piece [his essay on Lucretius], 
Evelyn, To Doctor Merle Casaubon. 
" Virtue ! and Wealth ! what are ye but a name 1 " 
Say, for such worth are other worlds prepared 7 
Or are they both In this their own reward 
A knotty point [ to which we now proceed. 
Pope, Moral Essays, iii. 387. 
knotweed (not' wed), n. 1. A plant of one of 
the species of knapweed or knobweed, Centau- 
rea nigni, I'. C'yanus, and C. Scabiosa: so call- 
ed from the knot-like heads. [Prov. Eng.] 
2. A plant of the genus Polygonmu, which 
includes the doorweed, the smartweeds and 
water-pepper, the prince's-feather, etc.; knot- 
grass or joint weed: so called from the knotty 
stem. Seaside knotweed, Polygonum maritimum. 
Spotted knotweed, Polygomnn Persicaria, or lady's- 
thumb. 
knot- wood (not ' wud), . 1. Wood that is full 
of knots. 2. Specifically, pine wood contain- 
ing resinous knots, used for making a brilliant 
fire, or for light. [Southern U. S.J 
knotwork (not'werk), n. An ornamental ar- 
rangement of cords knotted together, as in some 
Knotted Pillars.- Basilica of St. 
Mark's, Venice. 
knottiness (not'i-nes), n. 1. The condition of 
being knotty ; the state of having many knots 
or swellings. 
By his [Hercules's] oaken club is signified reason rul- 
ing the appetite ; the knotiinexi thereof, the difficulty they 
have that seek after virtue. Peacham, Drawing. 
2. The quality of being knotty ; difficulty of 
solution; intricacy ; complication: as, the knot- 
ttnens of a problem. 
Knottinest of his style. Hare. 
3. In geom., the minimum number of nodes in 
the projection of a knot on a plane or other 
single-sheeted, singly connected surface. 
knotting (not'ing), n. [Verbal n. of knot 1 , <.] 
1 . A kind of fancy work made with twisted and 
knotted threads, and closely imitating some old 
forms of lace. 
A piece of close Knottiny, viz. 2 Boys holding Circles in 
their Hands, either being less thati a Silver Penny, in 
which are perspicuously wrote the Lords Prayer in Latin 
and English. 
Quoted in AMun'i Social Life in Kclgn of Queen Anne. 
II. 17. 
-- 
1 ' . - ' 
Knotwork. lath century. Cathedral of Anjfers. France. 
kinds of fringe, in the cordons of a cardinal's 
hat, or represented in carving, painting, etc. 
A font at Dolton, Devon, formed of portions of a mono- 
lith carved with Saxon knotwork, etc. 
Athenanun, So. 8191, p. 862. 
knotwort (not'wert), . 1. The knot-grass, 
Polygonum ariculare. 2. i>l. A name given by 
Lindley to the plant family Illeccbracea. See 
knot-grass, 3 (fl). 
knoud (noud), n. [Origin obscure.] The gray 
gurnard, TrigUi guriiardus. [Local, Ireland.] 
knout (nout, more properly n6t; Russ. pron. 
knot), n. [< F. knout = G. knute, < Kuss. knutu 
(Little Russ. and Pol. knut), a whip, scourge, 
< Icel. kniitr, a knot: see knot 1 ."] A whip or 
scourge formerly used in Russia for the pun- 
ishment of the worst criminals. Varying descrip- 
tions of it are given, and it was probably made In different 
forms; but its effect was so severe that few of those who 
were subjected to its full force survived the punishment. 
The emperor Nicholas substituted for the knout a milder 
whip. 
knout (nout, or better n8t), v. t. [< knout, n.] 
To punish with the knout or whip. 
The freaks of Paul, whu banished and knouted persons 
of every station, were safely displayed in Petersburg and 
Moscow. Brauijham. 
know 
knoutberry, cnoutberry uiout'ix-r i), n.; pi. 
knoutberries,cnoutbcrri<-n(-r/.). [< " Knout, Cnout, 
a mod. form, of AS. Cnut, Canute, -I- berry 1 . The 
plant is traditionally connected with King Ca- 
nute.] The dwarf mulberry, Kubun I'hama-mii- 
ru. [Prov. Eng.] 
know 1 (no), c.; Pret. /./. ]i|>. known, \>]>r. 
Iciiiiirinij. [< ME. kiiowin, I. mi in n. rniiu'iii, 
cnaiccn (pret. knrtr, kn<-n~, \<\. kiifin-ii, pp. 
knowcn, cnowen, knaicen), < AS. endtrnn (pret. 
ni/'iiir, }}]}. i-niiin ) = ( >l l< i.i imttii.l.itiniii, cliiniiiH, 
i-iiii/tini, know, = Icel. A'wa, know how to do, be 
able, = OBulg. :nuti, know, = L. gno in noxccrr, 
orig. gnoscere (as in comp. co-gnoscere, i-gnnn- 
cere; perf. nofi, pp. notux, in comp. gnotux) = 
Gr. yvu in yryvaaKciv, 2d aor. )vuvat, know, = Skt. 
i/jwrt, know : a secondary form of the root ijan, 
Teut. kan, in ken 1 , know, can 1 , know, be able, 
etc. The forms in E. derived from this secon- 
dary root are few (know, ackitow, knowledge, ac- 
knoicledge, and remotely name), but the forms 
from the primitive root kan are numerous : can 1 , 
eon 1 , coift, cunning 1 , cunning^, couth, uncouth, 
kith, lathe, ken 1 , etc. The L. and Gr. words 
from the secondary root are very numerous in 
E.; e. g. : from Latin, agnize, coynize, cognition, 
incognito, ignore, noble, note, denote, notary, no- 
tion, cognomen, nominal, etc., ignominy, narrate, 
etc.; from the Greek, gnome 1 , gnome 2 , gnoniii, 
gnostic, etc., synonym, etc.] I. tram. 1. To 
perceive or understand as being fact or truth ; 
have a clear or distinct perception or appre- 
hension of; understand or comprehend clearly 
and fully; be conscious of perceiving truly. 
For when thou kneuxst the peple loved the, thow draw- 
eat the a-bakke, for to helpe them in their nedea. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.X L 40. 
We know what we are, but know not what we may be. 
Shak., Hamlet, Iv. 5, 42: 
What can we reason, hut from what we knoicf 
Pope, Eway on Man, L 18. 
In the night he dreamed that she was gone, 
And knowing that he dreamed, tried hard to wake, 
And could not. 
William ilorrii, Earthly Paradise, 1. 382. 
There is an ambiguity in the words ktunr, "knowledge," 
which Dr. Bain seems not to have considered : " to know" 
may mean either to perceive or apprehend, or it may mean 
to understand or comprehend. 
J. Ward, Encyc. Brit., XX. 49. 
We know things, and we know that we know them. 
How we know them is a mystery indeed, but one about 
which it is perfectly idle to speculate. 
Mirart, Nature and Thought, p. 138. 
2. In a general sense, to have definite informa- 
tion or intelligence about ; be acquainted with, 
either through the report of others or through 
personal ascertainment, observation, experi- 
ence, or intercourse : as, to know American his- 
tory; he A-HOH> the city thoroughly. 
And Merlyn, that all this kneve wele, seide to the kynge 
and Vter how It was be-tid of this man. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.\ L SO. 
How ye myght my name knoirrn vet-Hie. 
Horn, of Partenay (E. E. T. S.\ L 444. 
That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, 
and the fellowship of his sufferings. ri.il. lit 1". 
Ambition feels no gift, 
Nor knows no bounds. 
Fletcher (and anotlur\ False One, Iv. 1. 
Not to know me argues yourselves unknown. 
Milton, P. L.,lv. 830. 
3. To recognize after some absence or change ; 
recall to the mind or perception ; revive pnor 
knowledge of: as, he was so changed that yon 
would hardly know him. 
And the lady hlrself was above on the allcs that knewe 
hem wele anoon as she hem saugh. 
JrVrttn(E. E. T. S.), UL 545. 
At nearer view he thought he kntir the dead, 
And called the wretched man to mind. Flatman. 
4. To recognize in contrast or comparison; dis- 
tinguish by means of previous acquaintance or 
information: as, to know one man from another; 
we know a fixed star from a planet by its twin- 
kling; to know the right way. 
When the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a hand- 
Mi" . Shak., Hamlet. U. >, 897. 
Each household knowtth their owne lands, and gardens, 
and most Hue of their owne labours. 
Capt. John Smith, True Travels, 1. 129. 
Numeration Is but the adding of one unit more, and giv- 
ing to the whole a new name, whereby to know It from those 
before and after. Locke. 
5. To understand from experience or attain- 
ment: comprehend as to manner or method: 
with how before an infinitive : as, to friioic how 
to make something. 
I li<- illiterate, that know not how 
To cipher what U writ in learned book*. 
Shak., Lucrece, L 810. 
