Webster's 1828 Dictionary
KNOUT
n.nout. A punishment in Russia, inflicted with a whip.
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
KNOUT
Knout (nout or nt ), n. Etym: [Russ. knut'; prob. of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. knut knot, knout, Icel. kn knot: cf. F. knout. See Knot. ]
Defn: A kind of whip for flogging criminals, formerly much used in Russia. The last is a tapering bundle of leather thongs twisted with wire and hardened, so that it mangles the flesh.
KNOUT
KNOUT Knout, v. t.
Defn: To punish with the knout Brougham.
New American Oxford Dictionary
knout
knout |nout naʊt | ▶noun (in imperial Russia ) a whip used to inflict punishment, often causing death. ▶verb [ with obj. ] flog (someone ) with such a whip. ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: via French from Russian knut, from Old Norse knútr; related to knot 1 .
Oxford Dictionary
knout
knout |naʊt | ▶noun (in imperial Russia ) a whip used to inflict punishment, often causing death. ▶verb [ with obj. ] flog (someone ) with a knout. ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: via French from Russian knut, from Old Norse knútr; related to knot 1 .
The Wordsmith Dictionary