knuckle

knuck·le

K0095000 (nŭk′əl)n.1. a. The prominence of the dorsal aspect of a joint of a finger, especially of one of the joints connecting the fingers to the hand.b. A rounded protuberance formed by the bones in a joint.2. A cut of meat centering on the carpal or tarsal joint, as of a pig.3. The part of a hinge through which the pin passes.4. A sharp angle formed by the meeting of two surfaces, especially two ship's timbers.5. knuckles Brass knuckles.tr.v. knuck·led, knuck·ling, knuck·les 1. To press, rub, or hit with the knuckles.2. To shoot (a marble) with the thumb over the bent forefinger.Phrasal Verbs: knuckle down To apply oneself earnestly to a task. knuckle under To yield to pressure; give in.

[Middle English knokel.]

knuckle

(ˈnʌkəl) n1. (Anatomy) a joint of a finger, esp that connecting a finger to the hand2. (Cookery) a joint of veal, pork, etc, consisting of the part of the leg below the knee joint, often used in making stews or stock3. (Mechanical Engineering) the cylindrical portion of a hinge through which the pin passes4. (Mechanical Engineering) an angle joint between two members of a structure5. near the knuckle informal approaching indecencyvb6. (tr) to rub or press with the knuckles7. (Games, other than specified) (intr) to keep the knuckles on the ground while shooting a marble[C14: related to Middle High German knöchel, Middle Low German knoke bone, Dutch knok] ˈknuckly adj

knuck•le

(ˈnʌk əl)

n., v. -led, -ling. n. 1. any joint of a finger, esp. one of the articulations of a metacarpal with a phalanx. 2. the rounded prominence of such a joint when the finger is bent. 3. a cut of meat including the carpal, tarsal, or hock joint, esp. of a pig. 4. an angle at the intersection of two members or surfaces, as in the timbers of a ship or in a roof. 5. brass knuckles. 6. a cylindrical projecting part on a hinge, through which an axis or pin passes; the joint of a hinge. v.t. 7. to rub or press with the knuckles. 8. knuckle down, a. to apply oneself vigorously and earnestly; become serious. b. Also, knuckle under. to submit; yield. [1400–40; late Middle English knokel, probably < Middle Dutch knokel, c. Middle High German Knüchel, diminutive of a word represented by Middle High German Knoche bone] knuck′ly, adj. -li•er, -li•est.

knuckle

Past participle: knuckled
Gerund: knuckling

Imperative
knuckle
knuckle

Present
I knuckle
you knuckle
he/she/it knuckles
we knuckle
you knuckle
they knuckle

Preterite
I knuckled
you knuckled
he/she/it knuckled
we knuckled
you knuckled
they knuckled

Present Continuous
I am knuckling
you are knuckling
he/she/it is knuckling
we are knuckling
you are knuckling
they are knuckling

Present Perfect
I have knuckled
you have knuckled
he/she/it has knuckled
we have knuckled
you have knuckled
they have knuckled

Past Continuous
I was knuckling
you were knuckling
he/she/it was knuckling
we were knuckling
you were knuckling
they were knuckling

Past Perfect
I had knuckled
you had knuckled
he/she/it had knuckled
we had knuckled
you had knuckled
they had knuckled

Future
I will knuckle
you will knuckle
he/she/it will knuckle
we will knuckle
you will knuckle
they will knuckle

Future Perfect
I will have knuckled
you will have knuckled
he/she/it will have knuckled
we will have knuckled
you will have knuckled
they will have knuckled

Future Continuous
I will be knuckling
you will be knuckling
he/she/it will be knuckling
we will be knuckling
you will be knuckling
they will be knuckling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been knuckling
you have been knuckling
he/she/it has been knuckling
we have been knuckling
you have been knuckling
they have been knuckling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been knuckling
you will have been knuckling
he/she/it will have been knuckling
we will have been knuckling
you will have been knuckling
they will have been knuckling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been knuckling
you had been knuckling
he/she/it had been knuckling
we had been knuckling
you had been knuckling
they had been knuckling

Conditional
I would knuckle
you would knuckle
he/she/it would knuckle
we would knuckle
you would knuckle
they would knuckle

Past Conditional
I would have knuckled
you would have knuckled
he/she/it would have knuckled
we would have knuckled
you would have knuckled
they would have knuckled

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	knuckle - a joint of a finger when the fist is closedknuckle joint, metacarpophalangeal jointarticulatio synovialis, diarthrosis, synovial joint - a joint so articulated as to move freelyfinger - any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb); "her fingers were long and thin"
Verb	1.	knuckle - press or rub with the knucklespress - exert pressure or force to or upon; "He pressed down on the boards"; "press your thumb on this spot"
	2.	knuckle - shoot a marble while keeping one's knuckles on the groundshoot - throw or propel in a specific direction or towards a specific objective; "shoot craps"; "shoot a golf ball"

knuckle

verbknuckle down apply yourself, try, study, concentrate, work hard, pay attention, persevere, buckle down (informal), make an effort, commit yourself, be diligent, be industrious, be assiduous, devote yourself, dedicate yourself The only thing to do was to knuckle down.knuckle under give way, yield, submit, surrender, give in, succumb, cave in (informal), capitulate, accede, acquiesce It is arguable whether the rebels will knuckle under.

Translations

指节

knuckle

(ˈnakl) noun a joint of a finger. She hit her hand against the wall and grazed her knuckles.指节

knuckle

near the knuckle

Prone or likely to offend others, especially due to being sexually explicit or suggestive. A: "What did you think of the awards ceremony last night?" B: "I found the presenter's jokes a bit too near the knuckle for my taste." If you want to be a great comedian, you can't be afraid of getting near the knuckle from time to time.See also: knuckle, near

knuckle sandwich

A punch in the mouth. If you keep mocking me, you're going to get a knuckle sandwich!See also: knuckle, sandwich

rap across the knuckles

A quick, minor punishment that serves as a warning. The public was outraged that the company only received a rap across the knuckles from the EPA after being caught illegally dumping chemicals in the river.See also: across, knuckle, rap

rap on the knuckles

A quick, minor punishment intended to serve as a warning. The public was outraged that the company only received a rap on the knuckles from the regulatory agency after being caught illegally dumping chemicals in the river.See also: knuckle, on, rap

rap over the knuckles

A quick, minor punishment intended to serve as a warning. The public was outraged that the company only received a rap over the knuckles from the regulatory agency after being caught illegally dumping chemicals in the river.See also: knuckle, over, rap

be near the knuckle

To be likely to offend others, especially due to being sexually explicit or suggestive. A: "What did you think of the awards ceremony last night?" B: "I found the presenter's jokes to be too near the knuckle for my taste." If you want to be a great comedian, you can't be afraid of being near the knuckle from time to time.See also: knuckle, near

knuckle down

To begin to work on something in a determined matter. If you want to get a passing grade this semester, you'll really need to knuckle down and study hard.See also: down, knuckle

knuckle under

To yield or submit to someone or something. The committee is pressuring me to approach this project differently, but I refuse to knuckle under.See also: knuckle

go the knuckle

To engage in a fistfight (with someone). Primarily heard in Australia. He has a black eye from going the knuckle with another boy in his class.See also: go, knuckle

rap (one) over the knuckles

1. Literally, to smack someone, especially a child, on the knuckles as a punishment for misbehavior. The teacher was fired for rapping students over the knuckles when they spoke out of turn.2. By extension, to give someone a warning, verbal scolding, or a minor punishment. The public was outraged that the government merely rapped the company over the knuckles for illegally dumping chemicals in the river. The boss rapped my knuckles for coming in late on Friday.See also: knuckle, over, rap

rap (one) on the knuckles

1. Literally, to smack someone, especially a child, on the knuckles as a punishment for misbehavior. The teacher was fired for rapping students on the knuckles when they spoke out of turn.2. By extension, to give someone a warning, verbal scolding, or a minor punishment. The public was outraged that the government merely rapped the company on the knuckles for illegally dumping chemicals in the river. The boss rapped my knuckles for coming in late on Friday.See also: knuckle, on, rap

rap (one's) knuckles

1. Literally, to smack someone, especially a child, on the knuckles as a punishment for misbehavior. The teacher was fired for rapping students' knuckles when they spoke out of turn.2. By extension, to give someone a warning, verbal scolding, or a minor punishment. The public was outraged that the government merely rapped the company's knuckles for illegally dumping chemicals in the river. The boss rapped my knuckles for coming in late on Friday.See also: knuckle, rap

get (one's) knuckles rapped

1. Literally, to receive a smack on the knuckles as a punishment for misbehavior. Typically used in reference to children. You'll get your knuckles rapped by the teacher if you keep speaking out of turn.2. By extension, to receive a warning, verbal scolding, or a minor punishment. The public was outraged that the CEO merely got his knuckles rapped for his company's illegal actions. I got my knuckles rapped by the boss for coming in late on Friday.See also: get, knuckle, rap

get one's knuckles rapped

1. Lit. to get one's knuckles struck with a ruler as a punishment. I got my knuckles rapped for whispering too much. You will have your knuckles rapped if you are not careful. 2. Fig. to receive a minor punishment. The lawyer got his knuckles rapped for talking back to the judge. Better watch your tongue if you don't want to get your knuckles rapped.See also: get, knuckle, rap

knuckle down (to something)

Fig. to get busy doing something. I want you to knuckle down to your work and stop worrying about the past. Come on. Knuckle down. Get busy.See also: down, knuckle

*knuckle sandwich

Inf. a punch. (*Typically: ask for ~; get ~; give someone ~; want ~.) A: Nyah! Your mother smokes cigars! B: You want a knuckle sandwich?See also: knuckle, sandwich

knuckle under (to someone or something)

to submit to someone or something; to yield or give in to someone or something. You have to knuckle under to your boss if you expect to keep your job. I'm too stubborn to knuckle under.See also: knuckle

rap someone across the knuckles

and rap someone on the knuckles; rap someone's knucklesto strike someone on the knuckles. As punishment, she rapped him across the knuckles. The teacher rapped the student on the knuckles.See also: across, knuckle, rap

white knuckle something

to survive something threatening through strained endurance, that is to say, holding on tight. The flight from New York was terrible. We had to white knuckle the entire flight.See also: knuckle, white

knuckle down

1. Apply oneself seriously to some task or goal, as in The professor insisted that we knuckle down and get our papers in by Friday. Both this term and the rhyming synonym buckle down date from the 1860s, but the precise allusion in either is unclear. 2. See knuckle under. See also: down, knuckle

knuckle under

Also, knuckle down. Give in, acknowledge defeat, as in The dean refused to knuckle under to the graduate students' demands, or He was forced to knuckle down before their threats of violence. Presumably this idiom alludes to a kneeling position with hands on the ground, knuckles down. [Mid-1700s] See also: knuckle

rap someone's knuckles

Reprimand, as in If I'd seen John take that last piece of cake, I'd have rapped his knuckles. This term transfers a physical punishment to a verbal one. [Late 1600s] See also: knuckle, rap

near the knuckle

BRITISHIf something that someone says or writes is near the knuckle, it is close to the limits of what people find acceptable, for example because it is sexually explicit or offensive to particular groups. Some of the jokes in his live show were a bit near the knuckle. A lot of the material is very near the knuckle. Note: You can use near-the-knuckle before a noun. He has made a career out of near-the-knuckle comedy routines.See also: knuckle, near

rap someone on the knuckles

rap someone's knuckles

COMMON If someone in authority raps you on the knuckles or raps your knuckles, they criticize you for doing something they consider to be wrong. I was rapped on the knuckles for interfering in things that were not my concern. Note: People often use over instead of on. The report raps teachers over the knuckles for not appearing to have any influence over children at all. Note: You can also say that you have your knuckles rapped, or that you get a rap on the knuckles. The station has had its knuckles rapped for the third time by the Radio Authority. The club yesterday received a rap on the knuckles from the Football Association. Note: In the past, teachers sometimes punished pupils who behaved badly by hitting them on the knuckles with a ruler or stick. See also: knuckle, on, rap, someone

go the knuckle

fight with the fists. Australian informalSee also: go, knuckle

near the knuckle

verging on the indecent or offensive. British informal In the late 19th century this expression was used more generally to mean ‘close to the permitted limit of behaviour’.See also: knuckle, near

rap someone on (or over) the knuckles

rebuke or criticize someone.See also: knuckle, on, rap, someone

near the ˈknuckle

(British English, informal) (about a remark, joke, etc.) likely to offend people or make them feel embarrassed: His act is too near the knuckle for me.See also: knuckle, near

ˌrap somebody over the ˈknuckles

give somebody, get, etc. a ˌrap over the ˈknuckles

(informal) criticize somebody/be criticized for doing something wrong: He got a rap over the knuckles for spending too much money on his business lunches.See also: knuckle, over, rap, somebody

knuckle down

v. To apply oneself earnestly to a task: We've been relaxing too long—it's time for us to knuckle down and finish this work.See also: down, knuckle

knuckle under

v. To yield to some opposing force: The union knuckled under to pressure from the company. I've made up my mind on this matter, and I will not knuckle under.See also: knuckle

knuckle bones

n. dice. (An elaboration of bones.) Roll them knuckle bones and tell me that your expense needs earth pads. See also: bone, knuckle

knuckle down (to something)

in. to get busy doing something. Please knuckle down to your studies. See also: down, knuckle, something

knuckle down

verbSee knuckle down to somethingSee also: down, knuckle

knuckle sandwich

n. a blow struck in the teeth or mouth. How would you like a knuckle sandwich? See also: knuckle, sandwich

knuckle under (to someone/something)

in. to give in to or accept someone or something. She always refused to knuckle under to anyone. See also: knuckle, someone, something

knuckle under

verbSee knuckle under to someone/somethingSee also: knuckle

knuckle-dragger

n. a strong and stupid man. (Like an ape.) Call off your knuckle-draggers. I’ll pay you whatever you want.

white-knuckle

1. mod. having to do with an event that creates a lot of tension, especially an airplane flight. We came in during the storm on a white-knuckle flight from Chicago. 2. mod. of a person who is made tense by something such as flying or sailing. I’m afraid I’m a white-knuckle sailor, and you’d all be much happier if I stay on dry land.

knuckle under, to

To give in under pressure; to admit defeat. The origin of this expression is disputed. One writer claims it comes from the custom of striking the underside of a table with the knuckles when one was defeated in an argument. However, the noun knuckle once meant the end of any bone at the joint where it forms a protuberance, as at the knee, elbow, and finger joints. The verb to knuckle originally meant “to bend down” or “stoop” (probably from the joint’s bending), and by extension “to comply with” or “submit to”—it was so used from the 1700s on. The first appearance in print of knuckle under with this same meaning was in 1882. To knuckle down, on the other hand, while it originally may have been synonymous with knuckle under, today means to apply oneself resolutely to something. This meaning was first recorded in 1864. See also: knuckle

knuckle down

Apply yourself to the job at hand. The phrase comes from the game of marbles, one of the once-popular children's street games. Players shot their “shooter” marble by clenching the marble in a fist with knuckles touching the ground, then launching it with a flick of the thumb. When it was a player's turn and his attention was elsewhere, he was reminded, “Okay, knuckle down.” A similar phrase, “buckle down” most likely came from the idea of tightening your belt before performing an arduous task.See also: down, knuckle

knuckle sandwich

A punch in the mouth. Associated with urban street toughs, the phrase was common in “Dead End” and “Bowery Boys” movies where the threat of being served a meal of someone's fist was all part of the characters' bravado.See also: knuckle, sandwich

knuckle

knuck·le

knuckle

knuck•le

knuckle

knuckle

knuckle

knuckle

near the knuckle

knuckle sandwich

rap across the knuckles

rap on the knuckles

rap over the knuckles

be near the knuckle

knuckle down

knuckle under

go the knuckle

rap (one) over the knuckles

rap (one) on the knuckles

rap (one's) knuckles

get (one's) knuckles rapped

get one's knuckles rapped

knuckle down (to something)

*knuckle sandwich

knuckle under (to someone or something)

rap someone across the knuckles

white knuckle something

knuckle down

knuckle under

rap someone's knuckles

near the knuckle

rap someone on the knuckles

rap someone's knuckles

go the knuckle

near the knuckle

rap someone on (or over) the knuckles

near the ˈknuckle

ˌrap somebody over the ˈknuckles

give somebody, get, etc. a ˌrap over the ˈknuckles

knuckle down

knuckle under

knuckle bones

knuckle down (to something)

knuckle down

knuckle sandwich

knuckle under (to someone/something)

knuckle under

knuckle-dragger

white-knuckle

knuckle under, to

knuckle down

knuckle sandwich

knuckle

knuckle

Knuckle

knuckle

knuckle

knuckle

knuckle

knuck·le

knuckle

knuck·le

knuckle

knuckle

Synonyms for knuckle

phrase knuckle down

Synonyms

phrase knuckle under

Synonyms

Synonyms for knuckle

noun a joint of a finger when the fist is closed

Synonyms

Related Words

verb press or rub with the knuckles

Related Words

verb shoot a marble while keeping one's knuckles on the ground

Related Words