knot1
nounPlural knots nɒtnɑt
1A fastening made by looping a piece of string, rope, or something similar on itself and tightening it.
tie a knot at the end of the cordfigurative a complicated knot of racial politics and pride- I washed my face and hands and braided my hair in a tight knot at the nape of my neck.
- Now pass the end of the line though the loop and slowly tighten the knot.
- Her hair, once strawberry blonde was now tied into a neat gray knot at the nape of her neck.
- Her hair was twisted in an elaborate knot at the back of her head.
- She spied the knot in the rope that bound her ankles and immediately set to undoing it.
- She set the parcel on the bed, kneeling on the floor as she untied the double knot.
- She twisted her long hair into a knot at the base of her neck and began to pin it into place.
- He tightened the knot on his tie and brushed an imagined piece of lint off his uniform jacket.
- It is simple enough to tie a knot in a piece of string.
- It is a good idea to tie knots in the rope or cloth about 1 ft. apart, this will provide a more secure climbing surface.
- I gritted my teeth as I carefully untied the knot in the ribbon.
- She'd already gotten two of the knots undone, and she was sure it was just a matter of time before she was free.
- Her fingers trembled, making it even harder to untie the knot.
- Tie a double knot at each end of the 1/4 " wide ribbon.
- Why are kids up and down the country dumping their computer games in favour of tying knots in colourful plastic strings?
- Immediately, he began to undo the knots of the rope by which she was bound.
- The knots in the rope will work themselves out in time.
- Having owned boats for years, he's great at tying knots.
- Jodi began to pull at the remaining knots in the rope that tied her other hand.
- Robert almost lost his life in 1982 when he fell 15 metres because the knot in a rope released while he was rappeling.
tie, twist, loop, bow, splice, splicing, join, link, fastening, bond, intertwinement, interlacement, ligature, joint, connectiontangle, entanglement- 1.1 A particular method of making a knot.you need to master two knots, the clove hitch and the sheet bend
- These are the names of particular kinds of rope knots.
- To construct Pieranski's knot, you fold a circular loop of rope and tie two multiple overhand knots in it.
- The construction of fishing nets is similar to that of recent years and it is only necessary to master the use of only two knots: the clove-hitch and the sheet-bend.
- Rebecca came and stood behind him watching with great pleasure as he mastered the perfect knot.
- For attaching your leader to fly line, my advice is use the simple nail knot.
- 1.2 An ornamental ribbon.
2A tangled mass in something such as hair or wool.
- His brown hair was an unruly mass of tangles and knots.
- It is impossible to knit from a skein without getting the wool in a knot.
- She pulled on the brush, trying to get a particularly difficult knot out.
- Reaching for a silver comb, Luke sighed once more and started pulling the knots out of his hair.
- She stood behind Freya, and brushed carefully through her dark hair, gently easing out the tangles and knots.
- My eyes are red and puffy, my skin is pale, and my hair is matted and full of knots.
- She nearly yanked a handful of her hair out while trying to get the brush through a rather large tangle of knots.
- We both winced as she hit a knot in Carla's hair and Carla squeaked.
- I smiled faintly and got off of the bed, shrinking away from him and pulling my hand through the knots in my hair.
- I pulled her hair behind her and gently began to pull the comb through the knots in her hair.
- This braid is a lot more difficult to accomplish if your hair has tangles or knots.
- It took me half an hour to brush the wet knots out of my hair.
- Old English Sheepdogs are hard to take care of, especially because they need a lot of exercise and major grooming to keep knots out of their hair.
- Her hair was tangled in knots, she was pale, and her eyes were bloodshot.
- Marguerite winced as the serving girl yanked a brush through her hair, catching it on the wet tangles and knots.
- The comb is specially designed to cut through knots and tangles and much less time is spent in brushing and combing your Shih Tzu.
- She dragged the brush through her daughter's long hair, untangling knots as she went.
- Sighing, I grabbed a comb and began untangling the knots in my black hair.
- He flinched each time she tugged a knot out of his hair, but hardly dared to protest.
- She dried off the excess water from her hair and ran her fingers through it, trying to get the small knots out.
3A knob, protuberance, or node in a stem, branch, or root.
- I couldn't get a shillelagh, so I used a cane with knots in it instead.
- Root-knot nematodes cause distinct knots or galls on the roots.
- Features such as knots and branches can be recognized in some of the fossils.
- Typically built in a conifer, often near cones or knots or on an old cone base, the nest can easily be mistaken for a cone.
- After peeling the bark, the knots where the branches were need to be sanded to a very smooth finish.
- The outside of the nest is camouflaged with moss, bud scales, leaves, and lichen, and often looks like a bump or knot on the branch.
- Her knife caught on a knot, and she scowled at the branch.
- It averaged 45.1 cm in diameter, showed little taper and was mostly free of branches or knots along its length.
- I was cutting some boards and hit a knot in the wood, and the saw kicked back and cut my leg.
- ‘Every knot on every log that goes out of here is trimmed flush, whether it is a saw log or a pulp log,’ he explains.
- Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that attack plant roots and cause large knots.
- It was a large majestic oak tree, and every knot and burl on it had a memory for me.
- Horehound plants in the fall and winter have hard, prickly-feeling knots on the stems were the flowers bloomed.
- These growths, or knots, shut off water and nutrients to the branch, which eventually wilts, dries up and dies.
nodule, gnarl, knurl, node, lump, knob, swelling, growth, gall, protuberance, bumparchaic knar- 3.1 A hard mass formed in a tree trunk at the intersection with a branch, resulting in a round cross-grained piece in timber when cut through.
- Donald went over to his bed, an old, oak affair with knots in the wood and scratches on its frame, and sat down on it carefully.
- Longitudinal sections of tree trunks contain knots that preserve the history of branching and can be used to interpret stand dynamics.
- Daniel ran a hand through his hair and stared at the cedar desk, absently tracing a knot in the wood with his finger.
- One piece of wood may be a very simple object, yet another piece may be entirely different and very complex, especially around a burl or knot.
- The casket was made from boards with no knots from an evergreen tree.
- 3.2 A hard lump of tissue in the body.
- The masseuses are friendly and seem to be able to find every little knot.
- I smacked my arm into a doorknob really hard, and there's a knot in the muscle of the forearm now.
- From a seated position, curl one dumbbell up, feeling the muscles in your arm bunch up in a strong, searing knot as you reach the top and pause.
- I squeeze her muscles once more, surprised at how the knot has completely vanished.
- The sobs coming from the girl started to get louder, and Jon looked up at her and saw she had a pretty big knot on her head.
- My skin had been super-exfoliated, every knot and tension had been teased out of my body.
- He was sitting up with his back to her for now, one hand rubbing the newly formed knot on his head and the other holding the knife he had used to cut the tape earlier.
- To round off the day, it's time for that rehydrating massage, which not only moisturises the body but also gets out the last few knots of tension.
- Then his hands began to work into Jake's muscles gently and slowly working out knots and tension.
4An unpleasant feeling of tightness or tension in a part of the body.
her stomach was in knots as she unlocked the door- He glared at me and I felt a tight knot in my stomach.
- Peter gulped down a tense, hard knot that had formed in the back of his throat.
- Despite his air of confidence, Lipton's stomach was in knots, hard and cold.
- That call and that feeling - that knot in your stomach - is vivid to me after all these years.
- A tight knot of anger begins to form in Mike's stomach.
- As a child, Sara would climb the tallest tree to prove the knot of fear in her belly didn't exist.
- I woke up this morning with a knot of excitement and anticipation nestling comfortably in my stomach.
- She felt rooted to the spot, her disappointment and fear a cold, hard knot in the pit of her stomach.
- She pulled herself into a ball on her bed, her misery forming a hard knot in her heart.
- At eleven o'clock she was knocking on his door, her stomach tied in a knot and her hands shaking slightly.
- She felt a tight knot in her stomach - had she slept through an attack?
- Still, the knot in my stomach tightened as I left Jack's trailer.
- She felt a knot in her throat but she read the letter anyway.
- Fear tied a knot in her stomach, and she tried to force it down.
- Then it all came back in a rush and the knot in my stomach tightened.
- Lynn paused, feeling the knot starting to tighten again in her stomach.
- It's a testament to this book's unusual ability to straddle fantasy and literary realms that this moment creates a real knot of emotion in the reader's chest.
- There was a hard knot in Charlie's stomach, and he wished he'd decided to wait outside despite the rain.
- Chris swallowed the knot in his throat and glanced around the ring of people that now surrounded him.
- His stomach tightens in a knot as he stumbles down the hall towards his bedroom.
5A small tightly packed group of people.
a knot of spectators was gathering- It's a huge affair, the prize-giving dinner, even the Governor General shows up in a knot of security men, but I want to go home.
- A small knot of men standing in front of J.R.'s split in two to get out of our way, laughing at us and pointing.
- There was a small knot of people by the pilot's cabin, and he was terrified that something was going to happen.
- I only half-listened while I scanned the knot of protesters for anyone familiar.
- On the other hand, home economics was virtually empty, with Miss Orton teaching a small knot of girls made to do the cookery class by their parents.
- A knot of demonstrators in black wore red bandanas over their faces.
- A small knot of enthusiasts were invited up to the woods around Sonning Common to take a look.
- They stop and chat to small knots of curious residents.
- After a short time they came across a knot of people gathered outside a church.
- There was a knot of soldiers gathered around a white lump at the foot of a small cliff.
- And then quite suddenly you stumble across a little knot of firemen, armed only with picks, small forks, and their bare hands.
- My appearance at the window quickly garnered the attention of a small knot of protesters.
- This morning little knots of staff writers were talking to each other in low voices and then breaking off when I came by.
- Eleonore Riley is sitting in her favourite chair, a small knot of people around her.
- A knot of people gathered in Main Street to watch the waters slowly begin to rise again.
- Back in the pub, a knot of Scots to the side of the big screen became as bored as the English fans with a less-than-exciting match.
- A small knot of developers stood around Kevin's PC.
- They'll also be playing the album to the small knot of supporters - as if being caught in the cold and the rain and having to watch the Albion isn't trial enough.
- In the golden lamplight, knots of heavily armed guardsmen were talking in low voices.
- Inside was a small knot of people, eagerly witnessing a one-hour live demonstration of Indian music and dance.
cluster, group, band, huddle, bunch, circle, ring, set, collectionparty, gathering, company, crowd, throng, swarm, host, flock, gang, assemblage, mob, pack6A unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used especially of ships, aircraft, or winds.
- The propulsion system provides a maximum submerged speed of 33 knots and a surface speed of 10 knots.
- The fact that we were flying into a 100 - knot headwind the entire way certainly wasn't helping matters.
- One is a powered catamaran that can travel at 30 knots, carrying 50 divers with their instructors and sufficient tanks for two dives.
- Two 90 horsepower engines will give it a cruising speed of 15 knots and a range of 400 miles.
- The 81-metre ship is powered by two 12-cylinder diesel engines, and has a top speed of about 18 knots.
- On the outward downwind leg, against the flood tide, he covered the two miles in ‘half a quarter of one hour’, an impressive speed of sixteen knots.
- As I applied the wheel-brakes, I looked down at the airspeed indicator and noted that we were traveling at 120 knots.
- Winds of 76 knots or 140 kph were recorded at the Naval Weather and Oceanography Centre on the Sunday afternoon.
- The area had been hit by heavy rainstorms with wind speeds of about 10 knots per hour, which had caused the sea level to rise by about 1.5 meters.
- Knox-Johnston was alone at sea for an incredible 313 days, averaging just 3.39 knots round the globe.
- The scooter was a propeller-driven device that could pull a diver at about five knots and had a battery life of about three hours.
- With the standard engines, the Tiara 2900 will cruise at about 20 knots with a top speed of about 28 knots.
- There had been a storm warning at 1.15 p.m., with the wind speed touching 50 knots and the waves rising up to 25 feet.
- These animals can reach speeds of up to 25 knots in short bursts.
- On the ocean surface, its normal cruising speed is about 12 knots, but it is capable of attaining 20 knots in short bursts.
- With a top speed of 38 knots, they were capable of quickly getting to ships in distress.
- The maximum ship speed is 30 knots and the cruise speed is 18 knots.
- On the return flight, the jet fought a 100 - knot headwind.
- The rescue went without incident, although conditions were difficult - there was a four-metre swell and winds of 20 knots.
- The single-seat biplane had a top speed of 108 knots per hour.
- 6.1historical A length marked by knots on a log line, as a measure of speed.some days the vessel logged 12 knots
verbknots, knotted, knotting nɒtnɑt
[with object]1Fasten with a knot.
the scarves were knotted loosely around their throatsa knotted rope- Aidan knew right away the man was homeless: he wore a rumpled, torn black suit that looked like he snatched it from a dumpster, and a frayed tie loosely knotted around his neck.
- He unhooks the bike frame and ties it tightly to his backpack, then doubles its rope round the wires and knots it tight.
- Her white sneakers were annoyingly neat and the laces were knotted tightly and securely.
- She joined him shortly afterwards, shuddering and knotting the shawl at her throat as the wintry breeze hit her warm skin.
- Nearby a female worker tests for leaks by filling condoms with water, knotting the ends, and kneading them like bread dough on a brown paper towel.
- After knotting the bandage, Eve headed for the door.
- His captor finished knotting the rope and pulled the gun back out of his pants.
- Al finished knotting the bandage and placed a second pillow beneath the young man's head.
- Investigators also found some ties that had been knotted together and believe Yu had intended to use them as a rope before deciding to use electrical cord instead.
- I would watch him shave and knot his tie every morning and remember thinking that it was how I wanted to look when I went to work.
- He nodded and knotted his scarf tighter and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
- It would make a big difference if people would just followed simple steps such as putting all rubbish in a black bin bag, which should be knotted to prevent any overspill.
- He stood in front of the tall mirror in his room and knotted the tie on his dress blue uniform.
- Breathing in sharply, she held her breath as she wrapped the fabric around her chest and knotted it.
- Two young men sit down close by, bright scarves knotted around their scrawny necks, eyeing me speculatively.
- She twisted her hands, trying to figure out how they had knotted the ropes.
- Beard, beret, curly hair and bandana knotted round his throat, he was the epitome of a certain type of radical chic, and his image is to be found on the walls of student rooms even today.
- He had been strangled with a piece of a T-shirt which had been knotted at the back of his neck.
- He dropped to his knees in front of her, and began knotting the rope around her wrists.
- The last time I saw him a little gray had come into his sideburns but he still looked handsome in his dark suits and expertly knotted ties.
tie, make/tie a knot in, make a bow in, loop, lacefasten, secure, bind, make fast, tie up, do up, lash, tether- 1.1 Make (a carpet or other decorative item) with knots.
- For example, the necklace is composed of nine different strands of woodchip coco beads, knotted by hand.
- The carpets on display range from the Dhurri / Kelim type to very fine hand knotted ones with more than 36,000 knots per square foot.
- People, often children, are forced to do demeaning and often health destroying jobs. Try knotting Oriental carpets all day and see how long you keep your sight.
2Make (something, especially hair) tangled.
the shampoo knotted my hair terribly- She shook her head, her black knotted hair flying around her face.
- He stood in front of me smiling broadly, skin oiled and supple, his hair tangled in a mass of knotted dreadlocks.
- A knotweed is so called because its roots are knotted or twisted.
- Newborn asphyxia may also result when the umbilical cord is compressed between the baby's body and the uterine wall, or when the umbilical cord becomes knotted.
- She had long, brown hair that was knotted and unwashed.
- My hair was knotted in a tangled mess, giving me a wild look.
- She shook her head roughly back and forth, knotting her hair even more, which slightly annoyed Melinda who would have to help her get the tangles out in the morning.
- She grabbed the hairbrush out of his hand and began raking it through her knotted red hair.
- Her hair was a mess - tangled, knotted, and all over the place, instead of gleaming, soft and in place.
- My hair was knotted and difficult to put a brush through.
- Her long blond hair, knotted with traces of blood, trailed behind her.
- She yanked out the brush and began combing through that lock of knotted hair vigorously, her eyes watering slightly every time the brush hit a stubborn tangle.
- The man was about thirty and unshaven, his unkempt, blonde hair knotted like some Rastafarian.
- Her normally sleek auburn hair was frizzy and knotted and her clothes were wrinkled from a night of restless sleep.
- He washed his face, brushed his teeth, gurgled a mouthful of Listerine, combed out his knotted hair, and changed into another pair of boxers and a shirt.
- She took deep breaths, quickly running her fingers through her knotted hair.
- Her beautiful brown hair was tangled and knotted.
- A dog, white and black hair tangled in a knotted mess, slept at the girl's feet, paws twitching every once in a while, signs that he was dreaming.
- Yawning, she walked over to the oak dressing table and ran her brush through her knotted red hair.
- He could smell her hair, dirty and knotted, but still with a hint of the strawberry shampoo she had used the morning before.
tangled, tangly, knotty, entangled, matted, snarled, ravelled, twisted, entwined, coiled, unkempt, uncombed, tousledinformal mussed up3Cause (a muscle) to become tense and hard.
- Her fingers dug expertly into the knotted muscles of my shoulders, pummelled my back, massaged the tension out of my neck.
- She gently kneaded his knotted muscles as she spoke to their son.
- He felt her hands close gently on his shoulders, kneading his tired, knotted muscles.
- After about 10 minutes, I felt muscles knotted from a 12-week training schedule start to loosen up.
- The pool, jacuzzi, steamroom and sauna are a necessary part of the weekend rejuvenation process and if a massage therapist is on hand to squeeze out the knotted muscles, all the better.
- She went to the bathroom to run a hot bath to help release what she thought was knotted muscles.
- Some of our co-passengers would head for the spa where the expert masseuse, depending on whether he or she wanted a Swedish or aromatherapy massage, would knead their knotted muscles.
- Electricity is also used to stimulate tense and knotted muscles.
- While you recline, this amazing chair does wonderful things to your body and you start feeling all that stiffness disappearing as knotted muscles begin relaxing.
- He seemingly did not notice, so she put her hands on his shoulders and began kneading his knotted muscles.
- I quit talking as his hands began to knead my tired, knotted muscles and one by one, I felt them all begin to slacken.
- Frank exhaled, feeling a lessening of the tension that had been knotting his stomach muscles all week.
- In trigger-point injections, you may feel a sharp pain or muscle twitching when the needle hits the knotted muscle.
- Soothe your knotted muscles by applying a heating pad to the back of your neck or shoulders for from ten minutes to an hour.
- Here is the place to try a hot stone massage, where warm basalt stones from the desert's dry river beds are used in a deep massage to ease any knotted muscles.
- Hands traveled down my back, massaging my knotted muscles.
- Stretching out her sore and knotted muscles, she slowly rose from her blanket.
- 3.1no object (of the stomach) tighten as a result of nervousness or tension.
- Donna can feel her stomach knotting in anticipation.
- We usually get there early and sit around waiting for ages to soundcheck, my stomach gently knotting and unknotting with impatience.
- I could feel my stomach knotting up and I was shivering.
- My stomach knots itself in fear as I wait for the appearance of a man who controls my destiny, my Fate, and my life.
- Her stomach knotted together, her heart jammed in her throat.
- My stomach's all knotted up and I feel like I'm going to get sick.
- He plodded along, his stomach knotting more and more with each step.
- No matter how successful you are or how fulfilled you feel, there are nights where you toss and turn because your stomach is knotted with thoughts of failure.
- To this day, even if I simply think about being in such a situation, my stomach knots, my body tenses, and I go into avoidance mode.
- But now, Jess could feel her stomach turning, knotting up inside her and making her nauseous.
- She walked through the giant doors in the huge gothic building and her stomach began to knot up.
- She glanced at the signature first, her stomach knotting as the glance confirmed it was from Phillip.
- I thought about calling Matt to see if he'd heard anything about this, then changed my mind when my stomach knotted up at the thought.
- Chills ran up and down his entire body, and he felt his stomach knotting fearfully.
- Now my stomach knotted as I wondered what I'd gotten myself into.
- He knew by the way his stomach was knotting up what was to come.
- Her lip quivered slightly and her stomach knotted again.
- Her stomach knotted into a hard ball of fear, but she knew enough not to let them see it.
- Upon approaching the castle's wooden drawbridge, Jake's stomach began knotting, twisting up until it hurt.
- I took a deep breath and tried to cool my face, my stomach knotting itself, as he went to order his coffee.
Phrases
at a rate of knots
informal Very fast.
- He is heading towards bankruptcy at a rate of knots, and yet it seems lenders are happy to give him more and more credit.
- She talks at a rate of knots, but is charm personified.
- The last of the turkey has been demolished, the new toys lie in a corner and the Christmas tree is shedding its needles at a rate of knots.
- And a bloke drove up, spotted an incredibly tight parking place on the other side of the road, and in one movement swerved across, hit reverse and backed in at a rate of knots.
- When you drive into these little terraced streets, drivers are going at a rate of knots with no seatbelts on, oblivious to the fact that children could just step out from between two cars.
- Near me there used to be lots of fields which have now been turned into housing estates: the town is growing at a rate of knots.
- The Brazilian striker has been overweight since arriving at the Reebok but has been shedding the pounds at a rate of knots.
- Villages are a traditional part of English scenery and the envy of many countries, so why are they being destroyed at a rate of knots?
- As the book reaches its climax, disasters come at a rate of knots.
- I know all the companies are putting out opera DVDs at a rate of knots, and I suspect strongly that all other niche markets are doing likewise.
- The well-cared-for front gardens of our parents' generation seem to be disappearing at a rate of knots.
rapidly, speedily, swiftly, quickly, fast, post-haste, at speed, at full speed, at the speed of light, at full tilt, as fast as one's legs can carry one, at a gallopget knotted
informal Used to express contemptuous rejection of someone.
- With Debbie back at our house, I made an executive decision and told them to get knotted.
- I would like to add, on a more personal note: get knotted, bandylegs.
- Instead of wasting his breath answering her specific points, he listed all his Government's glorious achievements and told her, basically, to get knotted.
- If they find the place desperately ‘uninteresting’, they can get knotted.
tie someone (up) in knots
informal Make someone completely confused.
journalists tied themselves in knots trying to define the word- I certainly wouldn't let them tie me in knots over the warranty, which probably isn't worth the inaccessible paper it's printed on.
- A day on the water can calm nerves, rejuvenate the spirit and produce a general feeling of wellbeing, at least until we return to whatever tied us in knots in the first place.
- That the administration had to handle it so carefully is a testament to how much the issue ties them in knots.
- I'm sorry, but I think Hunter is tying himself in knots here.
- And now the writer's home city of Dublin is tied up in knots over its attempts to celebrate the centenary of the day on which his novel Ulysses is set - June 16, 1904.
- Tedious research is replaced by typing two or three words into that marvellous search machine ‘Google’, and difficult calculations no longer tie us in knots.
- I would like to see an insurance policy that always pays out what it promises. Or a home loan that doesn't tie you in knots with options and clauses.
- The last time that you and I faced one another in a Committee, in a slightly different atmosphere, you were sitting in the seat that I am sitting in and doing your best to tie me in knots at every opportunity.
- My subconscious is trying to tie me in knots, but it won't work, though I half-wish it would.
- The United States Postal Service is tied in knots.
tie the knot
informal Get married.
- They tied the knot soon afterwards and have been happily married for 16 years.
- It's easy to see why my mother fell in love with him when she was just 17, and married him - despite her own mother's misgivings - a year later, eloping to Scotland and tying the knot in secret.
- The couple - who each have been married twice before - tied the knot 11 years ago in a register office.
- When we met we had both already been married and we had a whirlwind romance of just six weeks before tying the knot.
- She said more and more couples were heading to Scotland to get married since Madonna and Ritchie tied the knot at Skibo castle in the Highlands in 2000.
- The couple were married for 42 years - tying the knot when Sylvia was 17 and John was 18.
- There was a rise of nearly 5% in the number of weddings in 2003 with 267,700 couples tying the knot in England and Wales according the Office of National Statistics.
- He is 10 years older than me and has been married twice before, both times to women who turned out NOT to be nice people and about whom he had misgivings even before tying the knot.
- If you're planning on tying the knot, be prepared for the marriage tax penalty.
- Cohabitors still had a higher divorce rate and a higher level of discontent in their married life compared to couples who'd been living separately before tying the knot.
Derivatives
knotless
- She separated a section of knotless hair from a tangled section and started picking at the ball of hair.
- Fifteen minutes later and 280 yards from the original point of capture the most fantastic example of a sea-trout I had ever seen lay nestling in the folds of my knotless mesh landing net.
- In freshwater fishing I use a knotless tapered leader.
knotter
- He started work as a ‘reacher in’ at Kelbrook Bridge Mill, threading the warp yarns and passing the ends on to the knotter.
adjective
noun
Origin
Old English cnotta, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch knot.
The words knot and knit, both Old English, are closely related. Something travelling fast might be described as going at a rate of knots. A knot here is a measure of speed, equivalent to one nautical mile an hour. In the days of sailing ships a line with knots tied at fixed intervals and a float at the end was run out into the sea over a certain time to gauge the ship's speed. If the line unwound very rapidly, with each knot appearing in quick succession, then the ship was going ‘at a rate of knots’. See also natty
Rhymes
allot, begot, Bernadotte, blot, bot, capot, clot, cocotte, cot, culotte, dot, forgot, garrotte (US garrote), gavotte, got, grot, hot, jot, lot, Mayotte, motte, not, Ott, outshot, plot, pot, rot, sans-culotte, Scot, Scott, shallot, shot, slot, snot, sot, spot, squat, stot, swat, swot, tot, trot, undershot, Wat, Watt, what, wot, yacht
knot2
nounPlural knots nɒtnɑt
A small, relatively short-billed sandpiper, with a reddish-brown or blackish breast in the breeding season.
Genus Calidris, family Scolopacidae: two species, in particular the red knot (C. canutus), which breeds in the Arctic and winters in the southern hemisphere
- You can see red knots, dunlins, and sandpipers as they rest and forage for food on the beaches, using the untouched island habitat as a safe haven during their journey south.
- The great knot flies 3,000 miles from northwest Australia to its breeding ground in eastern China.
- The possibility of arctic birds like the red knot and the dunlin disappearing from Scotland's shores is yet another symptom of a sickening planet.
- The Humber Estuary supports more than 150,000 birds each year including knot, lapwing, golden plover and breeding little terns.
- Many immature avocets spend their first summer after fledging well south of breeding areas, as do immature grey plovers, bar-tailed godwits and knot.
Origin
Late Middle English: of unknown origin.
knot1
nounnätnɑt
1A fastening made by tying a piece of string, rope, or something similar.
tie a knot at the end of the cordfigurative a complicated knot of racial politics and pride- Tie a double knot at each end of the 1/4 " wide ribbon.
- Now pass the end of the line though the loop and slowly tighten the knot.
- He tightened the knot on his tie and brushed an imagined piece of lint off his uniform jacket.
- She'd already gotten two of the knots undone, and she was sure it was just a matter of time before she was free.
- She twisted her long hair into a knot at the base of her neck and began to pin it into place.
- Immediately, he began to undo the knots of the rope by which she was bound.
- Having owned boats for years, he's great at tying knots.
- The knots in the rope will work themselves out in time.
- She spied the knot in the rope that bound her ankles and immediately set to undoing it.
- Her hair was twisted in an elaborate knot at the back of her head.
- It is simple enough to tie a knot in a piece of string.
- Why are kids up and down the country dumping their computer games in favour of tying knots in colourful plastic strings?
- Robert almost lost his life in 1982 when he fell 15 metres because the knot in a rope released while he was rappeling.
- Her hair, once strawberry blonde was now tied into a neat gray knot at the nape of her neck.
- Her fingers trembled, making it even harder to untie the knot.
- I gritted my teeth as I carefully untied the knot in the ribbon.
- I washed my face and hands and braided my hair in a tight knot at the nape of my neck.
- She set the parcel on the bed, kneeling on the floor as she untied the double knot.
- Jodi began to pull at the remaining knots in the rope that tied her other hand.
- It is a good idea to tie knots in the rope or cloth about 1 ft. apart, this will provide a more secure climbing surface.
tie, twist, loop, bow, splice, splicing, join, link, fastening, bond, intertwinement, interlacement, ligature, joint, connection- 1.1 A particular method of tying a knot.you need to master two knots, the clove hitch and the sheet bend
- The construction of fishing nets is similar to that of recent years and it is only necessary to master the use of only two knots: the clove-hitch and the sheet-bend.
- For attaching your leader to fly line, my advice is use the simple nail knot.
- To construct Pieranski's knot, you fold a circular loop of rope and tie two multiple overhand knots in it.
- These are the names of particular kinds of rope knots.
- Rebecca came and stood behind him watching with great pleasure as he mastered the perfect knot.
- 1.2 A tied or folded ribbon, worn as an ornament.
2A tangled mass in something such as hair.
- His brown hair was an unruly mass of tangles and knots.
- She nearly yanked a handful of her hair out while trying to get the brush through a rather large tangle of knots.
- She dragged the brush through her daughter's long hair, untangling knots as she went.
- It is impossible to knit from a skein without getting the wool in a knot.
- The comb is specially designed to cut through knots and tangles and much less time is spent in brushing and combing your Shih Tzu.
- Old English Sheepdogs are hard to take care of, especially because they need a lot of exercise and major grooming to keep knots out of their hair.
- Sighing, I grabbed a comb and began untangling the knots in my black hair.
- He flinched each time she tugged a knot out of his hair, but hardly dared to protest.
- She dried off the excess water from her hair and ran her fingers through it, trying to get the small knots out.
- Her hair was tangled in knots, she was pale, and her eyes were bloodshot.
- I smiled faintly and got off of the bed, shrinking away from him and pulling my hand through the knots in my hair.
- It took me half an hour to brush the wet knots out of my hair.
- She stood behind Freya, and brushed carefully through her dark hair, gently easing out the tangles and knots.
- This braid is a lot more difficult to accomplish if your hair has tangles or knots.
- My eyes are red and puffy, my skin is pale, and my hair is matted and full of knots.
- Reaching for a silver comb, Luke sighed once more and started pulling the knots out of his hair.
- We both winced as she hit a knot in Carla's hair and Carla squeaked.
- Marguerite winced as the serving girl yanked a brush through her hair, catching it on the wet tangles and knots.
- I pulled her hair behind her and gently began to pull the comb through the knots in her hair.
- She pulled on the brush, trying to get a particularly difficult knot out.
3A knob, protuberance, or node in a stem, branch, or root.
- Root-knot nematodes cause distinct knots or galls on the roots.
- Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that attack plant roots and cause large knots.
- These growths, or knots, shut off water and nutrients to the branch, which eventually wilts, dries up and dies.
- Features such as knots and branches can be recognized in some of the fossils.
- Her knife caught on a knot, and she scowled at the branch.
- I was cutting some boards and hit a knot in the wood, and the saw kicked back and cut my leg.
- ‘Every knot on every log that goes out of here is trimmed flush, whether it is a saw log or a pulp log,’ he explains.
- The outside of the nest is camouflaged with moss, bud scales, leaves, and lichen, and often looks like a bump or knot on the branch.
- It was a large majestic oak tree, and every knot and burl on it had a memory for me.
- Horehound plants in the fall and winter have hard, prickly-feeling knots on the stems were the flowers bloomed.
- After peeling the bark, the knots where the branches were need to be sanded to a very smooth finish.
- I couldn't get a shillelagh, so I used a cane with knots in it instead.
- Typically built in a conifer, often near cones or knots or on an old cone base, the nest can easily be mistaken for a cone.
- It averaged 45.1 cm in diameter, showed little taper and was mostly free of branches or knots along its length.
nodule, gnarl, knurl, node, lump, knob, swelling, growth, gall, protuberance, bump- 3.1 A hard mass formed in a tree trunk at the intersection with a branch, resulting in a round cross-grained piece in timber when cut through.
- Longitudinal sections of tree trunks contain knots that preserve the history of branching and can be used to interpret stand dynamics.
- The casket was made from boards with no knots from an evergreen tree.
- Daniel ran a hand through his hair and stared at the cedar desk, absently tracing a knot in the wood with his finger.
- Donald went over to his bed, an old, oak affair with knots in the wood and scratches on its frame, and sat down on it carefully.
- One piece of wood may be a very simple object, yet another piece may be entirely different and very complex, especially around a burl or knot.
- 3.2 A hard lump of tissue in an animal or human body.
- The masseuses are friendly and seem to be able to find every little knot.
- My skin had been super-exfoliated, every knot and tension had been teased out of my body.
- I squeeze her muscles once more, surprised at how the knot has completely vanished.
- The sobs coming from the girl started to get louder, and Jon looked up at her and saw she had a pretty big knot on her head.
- From a seated position, curl one dumbbell up, feeling the muscles in your arm bunch up in a strong, searing knot as you reach the top and pause.
- I smacked my arm into a doorknob really hard, and there's a knot in the muscle of the forearm now.
- He was sitting up with his back to her for now, one hand rubbing the newly formed knot on his head and the other holding the knife he had used to cut the tape earlier.
- To round off the day, it's time for that rehydrating massage, which not only moisturises the body but also gets out the last few knots of tension.
- Then his hands began to work into Jake's muscles gently and slowly working out knots and tension.
4An unpleasant feeling of tightness or tension in a part of the body.
her stomach was in knots as she unlocked the door- At eleven o'clock she was knocking on his door, her stomach tied in a knot and her hands shaking slightly.
- Still, the knot in my stomach tightened as I left Jack's trailer.
- She pulled herself into a ball on her bed, her misery forming a hard knot in her heart.
- I woke up this morning with a knot of excitement and anticipation nestling comfortably in my stomach.
- She felt rooted to the spot, her disappointment and fear a cold, hard knot in the pit of her stomach.
- His stomach tightens in a knot as he stumbles down the hall towards his bedroom.
- It's a testament to this book's unusual ability to straddle fantasy and literary realms that this moment creates a real knot of emotion in the reader's chest.
- A tight knot of anger begins to form in Mike's stomach.
- Lynn paused, feeling the knot starting to tighten again in her stomach.
- Fear tied a knot in her stomach, and she tried to force it down.
- He glared at me and I felt a tight knot in my stomach.
- That call and that feeling - that knot in your stomach - is vivid to me after all these years.
- There was a hard knot in Charlie's stomach, and he wished he'd decided to wait outside despite the rain.
- She felt a knot in her throat but she read the letter anyway.
- As a child, Sara would climb the tallest tree to prove the knot of fear in her belly didn't exist.
- Peter gulped down a tense, hard knot that had formed in the back of his throat.
- Despite his air of confidence, Lipton's stomach was in knots, hard and cold.
- Then it all came back in a rush and the knot in my stomach tightened.
- Chris swallowed the knot in his throat and glanced around the ring of people that now surrounded him.
- She felt a tight knot in her stomach - had she slept through an attack?
5A small tightly packed group of people.
the little knot of people clustered around the doorway- A small knot of enthusiasts were invited up to the woods around Sonning Common to take a look.
- Inside was a small knot of people, eagerly witnessing a one-hour live demonstration of Indian music and dance.
- A small knot of developers stood around Kevin's PC.
- They stop and chat to small knots of curious residents.
- A small knot of men standing in front of J.R.'s split in two to get out of our way, laughing at us and pointing.
- Back in the pub, a knot of Scots to the side of the big screen became as bored as the English fans with a less-than-exciting match.
- After a short time they came across a knot of people gathered outside a church.
- There was a small knot of people by the pilot's cabin, and he was terrified that something was going to happen.
- A knot of people gathered in Main Street to watch the waters slowly begin to rise again.
- I only half-listened while I scanned the knot of protesters for anyone familiar.
- It's a huge affair, the prize-giving dinner, even the Governor General shows up in a knot of security men, but I want to go home.
- In the golden lamplight, knots of heavily armed guardsmen were talking in low voices.
- This morning little knots of staff writers were talking to each other in low voices and then breaking off when I came by.
- There was a knot of soldiers gathered around a white lump at the foot of a small cliff.
- A knot of demonstrators in black wore red bandanas over their faces.
- And then quite suddenly you stumble across a little knot of firemen, armed only with picks, small forks, and their bare hands.
- Eleonore Riley is sitting in her favourite chair, a small knot of people around her.
- They'll also be playing the album to the small knot of supporters - as if being caught in the cold and the rain and having to watch the Albion isn't trial enough.
- My appearance at the window quickly garnered the attention of a small knot of protesters.
- On the other hand, home economics was virtually empty, with Miss Orton teaching a small knot of girls made to do the cookery class by their parents.
cluster, group, band, huddle, bunch, circle, ring, set, collection6A unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used especially of ships, aircraft, or winds.
- With the standard engines, the Tiara 2900 will cruise at about 20 knots with a top speed of about 28 knots.
- The single-seat biplane had a top speed of 108 knots per hour.
- Two 90 horsepower engines will give it a cruising speed of 15 knots and a range of 400 miles.
- The scooter was a propeller-driven device that could pull a diver at about five knots and had a battery life of about three hours.
- Winds of 76 knots or 140 kph were recorded at the Naval Weather and Oceanography Centre on the Sunday afternoon.
- On the ocean surface, its normal cruising speed is about 12 knots, but it is capable of attaining 20 knots in short bursts.
- Knox-Johnston was alone at sea for an incredible 313 days, averaging just 3.39 knots round the globe.
- The rescue went without incident, although conditions were difficult - there was a four-metre swell and winds of 20 knots.
- The propulsion system provides a maximum submerged speed of 33 knots and a surface speed of 10 knots.
- One is a powered catamaran that can travel at 30 knots, carrying 50 divers with their instructors and sufficient tanks for two dives.
- With a top speed of 38 knots, they were capable of quickly getting to ships in distress.
- On the outward downwind leg, against the flood tide, he covered the two miles in ‘half a quarter of one hour’, an impressive speed of sixteen knots.
- The fact that we were flying into a 100 - knot headwind the entire way certainly wasn't helping matters.
- These animals can reach speeds of up to 25 knots in short bursts.
- As I applied the wheel-brakes, I looked down at the airspeed indicator and noted that we were traveling at 120 knots.
- On the return flight, the jet fought a 100 - knot headwind.
- There had been a storm warning at 1.15 p.m., with the wind speed touching 50 knots and the waves rising up to 25 feet.
- The area had been hit by heavy rainstorms with wind speeds of about 10 knots per hour, which had caused the sea level to rise by about 1.5 meters.
- The 81-metre ship is powered by two 12-cylinder diesel engines, and has a top speed of about 18 knots.
- The maximum ship speed is 30 knots and the cruise speed is 18 knots.
- 6.1historical A length marked by knots on a log line, as a measure of speed.some days the vessel logged 12 knots
verbnätnɑt
[with object]1Fasten with a knot.
the scarves were knotted loosely around their throats- His captor finished knotting the rope and pulled the gun back out of his pants.
- Investigators also found some ties that had been knotted together and believe Yu had intended to use them as a rope before deciding to use electrical cord instead.
- Beard, beret, curly hair and bandana knotted round his throat, he was the epitome of a certain type of radical chic, and his image is to be found on the walls of student rooms even today.
- The last time I saw him a little gray had come into his sideburns but he still looked handsome in his dark suits and expertly knotted ties.
- Two young men sit down close by, bright scarves knotted around their scrawny necks, eyeing me speculatively.
- I would watch him shave and knot his tie every morning and remember thinking that it was how I wanted to look when I went to work.
- Her white sneakers were annoyingly neat and the laces were knotted tightly and securely.
- Al finished knotting the bandage and placed a second pillow beneath the young man's head.
- Breathing in sharply, she held her breath as she wrapped the fabric around her chest and knotted it.
- Nearby a female worker tests for leaks by filling condoms with water, knotting the ends, and kneading them like bread dough on a brown paper towel.
- After knotting the bandage, Eve headed for the door.
- She twisted her hands, trying to figure out how they had knotted the ropes.
- He had been strangled with a piece of a T-shirt which had been knotted at the back of his neck.
- She joined him shortly afterwards, shuddering and knotting the shawl at her throat as the wintry breeze hit her warm skin.
- It would make a big difference if people would just followed simple steps such as putting all rubbish in a black bin bag, which should be knotted to prevent any overspill.
- He unhooks the bike frame and ties it tightly to his backpack, then doubles its rope round the wires and knots it tight.
- He dropped to his knees in front of her, and began knotting the rope around her wrists.
- He nodded and knotted his scarf tighter and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
- Aidan knew right away the man was homeless: he wore a rumpled, torn black suit that looked like he snatched it from a dumpster, and a frayed tie loosely knotted around his neck.
- He stood in front of the tall mirror in his room and knotted the tie on his dress blue uniform.
tie, make a knot in, tie a knot in, make a bow in, loop, lace- 1.1 Make (a carpet or other decorative item) with knots.
- The carpets on display range from the Dhurri / Kelim type to very fine hand knotted ones with more than 36,000 knots per square foot.
- For example, the necklace is composed of nine different strands of woodchip coco beads, knotted by hand.
- People, often children, are forced to do demeaning and often health destroying jobs. Try knotting Oriental carpets all day and see how long you keep your sight.
2Make (something, especially hair) tangled.
the shampoo knotted my hair terribly- She shook her head, her black knotted hair flying around her face.
- He could smell her hair, dirty and knotted, but still with a hint of the strawberry shampoo she had used the morning before.
- Her beautiful brown hair was tangled and knotted.
- She grabbed the hairbrush out of his hand and began raking it through her knotted red hair.
- A dog, white and black hair tangled in a knotted mess, slept at the girl's feet, paws twitching every once in a while, signs that he was dreaming.
- Her normally sleek auburn hair was frizzy and knotted and her clothes were wrinkled from a night of restless sleep.
- She took deep breaths, quickly running her fingers through her knotted hair.
- A knotweed is so called because its roots are knotted or twisted.
- Newborn asphyxia may also result when the umbilical cord is compressed between the baby's body and the uterine wall, or when the umbilical cord becomes knotted.
- Her long blond hair, knotted with traces of blood, trailed behind her.
- He stood in front of me smiling broadly, skin oiled and supple, his hair tangled in a mass of knotted dreadlocks.
- Her hair was a mess - tangled, knotted, and all over the place, instead of gleaming, soft and in place.
- My hair was knotted in a tangled mess, giving me a wild look.
- She shook her head roughly back and forth, knotting her hair even more, which slightly annoyed Melinda who would have to help her get the tangles out in the morning.
- She yanked out the brush and began combing through that lock of knotted hair vigorously, her eyes watering slightly every time the brush hit a stubborn tangle.
- He washed his face, brushed his teeth, gurgled a mouthful of Listerine, combed out his knotted hair, and changed into another pair of boxers and a shirt.
- My hair was knotted and difficult to put a brush through.
- She had long, brown hair that was knotted and unwashed.
- Yawning, she walked over to the oak dressing table and ran her brush through her knotted red hair.
- The man was about thirty and unshaven, his unkempt, blonde hair knotted like some Rastafarian.
tangled, tangly, knotty, entangled, matted, snarled, ravelled, twisted, entwined, coiled, unkempt, uncombed, tousled3Cause (a muscle) to become tense and hard.
- Soothe your knotted muscles by applying a heating pad to the back of your neck or shoulders for from ten minutes to an hour.
- He felt her hands close gently on his shoulders, kneading his tired, knotted muscles.
- Electricity is also used to stimulate tense and knotted muscles.
- While you recline, this amazing chair does wonderful things to your body and you start feeling all that stiffness disappearing as knotted muscles begin relaxing.
- He seemingly did not notice, so she put her hands on his shoulders and began kneading his knotted muscles.
- She gently kneaded his knotted muscles as she spoke to their son.
- I quit talking as his hands began to knead my tired, knotted muscles and one by one, I felt them all begin to slacken.
- In trigger-point injections, you may feel a sharp pain or muscle twitching when the needle hits the knotted muscle.
- Some of our co-passengers would head for the spa where the expert masseuse, depending on whether he or she wanted a Swedish or aromatherapy massage, would knead their knotted muscles.
- The pool, jacuzzi, steamroom and sauna are a necessary part of the weekend rejuvenation process and if a massage therapist is on hand to squeeze out the knotted muscles, all the better.
- She went to the bathroom to run a hot bath to help release what she thought was knotted muscles.
- Stretching out her sore and knotted muscles, she slowly rose from her blanket.
- Frank exhaled, feeling a lessening of the tension that had been knotting his stomach muscles all week.
- Hands traveled down my back, massaging my knotted muscles.
- Here is the place to try a hot stone massage, where warm basalt stones from the desert's dry river beds are used in a deep massage to ease any knotted muscles.
- Her fingers dug expertly into the knotted muscles of my shoulders, pummelled my back, massaged the tension out of my neck.
- After about 10 minutes, I felt muscles knotted from a 12-week training schedule start to loosen up.
- 3.1no object (of the stomach) tighten as a result of nervousness or tension.
- I took a deep breath and tried to cool my face, my stomach knotting itself, as he went to order his coffee.
- She walked through the giant doors in the huge gothic building and her stomach began to knot up.
- Her stomach knotted into a hard ball of fear, but she knew enough not to let them see it.
- But now, Jess could feel her stomach turning, knotting up inside her and making her nauseous.
- Upon approaching the castle's wooden drawbridge, Jake's stomach began knotting, twisting up until it hurt.
- Her stomach knotted together, her heart jammed in her throat.
- He plodded along, his stomach knotting more and more with each step.
- To this day, even if I simply think about being in such a situation, my stomach knots, my body tenses, and I go into avoidance mode.
- I could feel my stomach knotting up and I was shivering.
- I thought about calling Matt to see if he'd heard anything about this, then changed my mind when my stomach knotted up at the thought.
- Chills ran up and down his entire body, and he felt his stomach knotting fearfully.
- Her lip quivered slightly and her stomach knotted again.
- My stomach's all knotted up and I feel like I'm going to get sick.
- My stomach knots itself in fear as I wait for the appearance of a man who controls my destiny, my Fate, and my life.
- Now my stomach knotted as I wondered what I'd gotten myself into.
- She glanced at the signature first, her stomach knotting as the glance confirmed it was from Phillip.
- Donna can feel her stomach knotting in anticipation.
- We usually get there early and sit around waiting for ages to soundcheck, my stomach gently knotting and unknotting with impatience.
- He knew by the way his stomach was knotting up what was to come.
- No matter how successful you are or how fulfilled you feel, there are nights where you toss and turn because your stomach is knotted with thoughts of failure.
Phrases
tie someone (up) in knots
informal Make someone completely confused.
they tied themselves in knots over what to call the country- I'm sorry, but I think Hunter is tying himself in knots here.
- That the administration had to handle it so carefully is a testament to how much the issue ties them in knots.
- I certainly wouldn't let them tie me in knots over the warranty, which probably isn't worth the inaccessible paper it's printed on.
- The United States Postal Service is tied in knots.
- I would like to see an insurance policy that always pays out what it promises. Or a home loan that doesn't tie you in knots with options and clauses.
- My subconscious is trying to tie me in knots, but it won't work, though I half-wish it would.
- A day on the water can calm nerves, rejuvenate the spirit and produce a general feeling of wellbeing, at least until we return to whatever tied us in knots in the first place.
- And now the writer's home city of Dublin is tied up in knots over its attempts to celebrate the centenary of the day on which his novel Ulysses is set - June 16, 1904.
- The last time that you and I faced one another in a Committee, in a slightly different atmosphere, you were sitting in the seat that I am sitting in and doing your best to tie me in knots at every opportunity.
- Tedious research is replaced by typing two or three words into that marvellous search machine ‘Google’, and difficult calculations no longer tie us in knots.
tie the knot
informal Get married.
- She said more and more couples were heading to Scotland to get married since Madonna and Ritchie tied the knot at Skibo castle in the Highlands in 2000.
- He is 10 years older than me and has been married twice before, both times to women who turned out NOT to be nice people and about whom he had misgivings even before tying the knot.
- When we met we had both already been married and we had a whirlwind romance of just six weeks before tying the knot.
- The couple - who each have been married twice before - tied the knot 11 years ago in a register office.
- If you're planning on tying the knot, be prepared for the marriage tax penalty.
- They tied the knot soon afterwards and have been happily married for 16 years.
- There was a rise of nearly 5% in the number of weddings in 2003 with 267,700 couples tying the knot in England and Wales according the Office of National Statistics.
- The couple were married for 42 years - tying the knot when Sylvia was 17 and John was 18.
- It's easy to see why my mother fell in love with him when she was just 17, and married him - despite her own mother's misgivings - a year later, eloping to Scotland and tying the knot in secret.
- Cohabitors still had a higher divorce rate and a higher level of discontent in their married life compared to couples who'd been living separately before tying the knot.
Origin
Old English cnotta, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch knot.
knot2
nounnätnɑt
A small, relatively short-billed sandpiper, with a reddish-brown or blackish breast in the breeding season.
Genus Calidris, family Scolopacidae: two species, in particular the red knot (C. canutus), which breeds in the Arctic and winters in the southern hemisphere
- The Humber Estuary supports more than 150,000 birds each year including knot, lapwing, golden plover and breeding little terns.
- The possibility of arctic birds like the red knot and the dunlin disappearing from Scotland's shores is yet another symptom of a sickening planet.
- Many immature avocets spend their first summer after fledging well south of breeding areas, as do immature grey plovers, bar-tailed godwits and knot.
- The great knot flies 3,000 miles from northwest Australia to its breeding ground in eastern China.
- You can see red knots, dunlins, and sandpipers as they rest and forage for food on the beaches, using the untouched island habitat as a safe haven during their journey south.
Origin
Late Middle English: of unknown origin.