The Wordsmith Dictionary

Knuc "kle, n. Etym: [OE. knokel, knokil, AS. cuncel; akin to D.knokkel, OFries. knokele, knokle, G. knöchel, Sw. knoge, Dan. knokkel, G. knochen bone, and perh. to E. knock. ]

1. The joint of a finger, particularly when made prominent by the closing of the fingers. Davenant.

2. The kneejoint, or middle joint, of either leg of a quadruped, especially of a calf; -- formerly used of the kneejoint of a human being. With weary knuckles on thy brim she kneeled sadly down. Golding.

3. The joint of a plant. [Obs. ] Bacon.

4. (Mech. )

Defn: The joining pars of a hinge through which the pin or rivet passes; a knuckle joint.

5. (Shipbuilding )

Defn: A convex portion of a vessel's figure where a sudden change of shape occurs, as in a canal boat, where a nearly vertical side joins a nearly flat bottom.

6. A contrivance, usually of brass or iron, and furnished with points, worn to protect the hand, to add force to a blow, and to disfigure the person struck; as, brass knuckles; -- called also knuckle duster. [Slang. ] Knuckle joint (Mach. ), a hinge joint, in which a projection with an eye, on one piece, enters a jaw between two corresponding projections with eyes, on another piece, and is retained by a pin which passes through the eyes and forms the pivot. -- Knuckle of veal (Cookery ), the lower part of a leg of veal, from the line of the body to the knuckle.

KNUCKLE

Knuc "kle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Knuckled; ; p. pr. & vb. n. Knuckling.]

Defn: To yield; to submit; -- used with down, to, or under. To knuckle to. (a ) To submit to in a contest; to yield to. [Colloq. ] See To knock under, under Knock, v. i. (b ) To apply one's self vigorously or earnestly to; as, to knuckle to work. [Colloq. ]

KNUCKLE

KNUCKLE Knuc "kle, v. t.

Defn: To beat with the knuckles; to pommel. [R.] Horace Smith.

KNUCKLED

KNUCKLED Knuc "kled, a.

Defn: Jointed. [Obs. ] Bacon.

New American Oxford Dictionary

knuckle

knuck le |ˈnəkəl ˈnəkəl | ▶noun a part of a finger at a joint where the bone is near the surface, esp. where the finger joins the hand: Charlotte rapped on the window with her knuckles. • a projection of the carpal or tarsal joint of a quadruped. • a cut of meat consisting of such a projection together with the adjoining parts: a knuckle of pork. ▶verb [ with obj. ] rub or press (something, esp. the eyes ) with the knuckles. PHRASAL VERBS knuckle down 1 apply oneself seriously to a task. 2 (also knuckle under ) give in; submit. DERIVATIVES knuck ly adjective ORIGIN Middle English knokel (originally denoting the rounded shape when a joint such as the elbow or knee is bent ), from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch knökel, diminutive of knoke ‘bone. ’ In the mid 18th cent. the verb knuckle (down ) expressed setting the knuckles down to shoot the taw in a game of marbles, hence the notion of applying oneself with concentration.

knuckleball

knuck le ball |ˈnəkəlˌbôl ˈnəkəlbɔl |(also knuckler ) ▶noun Baseball a slow pitch that has virtually no spin and moves erratically, typically made by releasing the ball from between the thumb and the knuckles of the first joints of the index and middle finger. DERIVATIVES knuck le ball er noun

knucklebone

knuck le bone |ˈnəkəlˌbōn ˈnəkəlboʊn | ▶noun 1 a bone forming or corresponding to a knuckle. • a knuckle of meat. 2 (knucklebones ) animal knucklebones used in the game of jacks. • the game of jacks.

knuckle-dragger

knuck le-drag ger ▶noun informal a stupid or loutish person. DERIVATIVES knuck le-drag ging adjective

knuckleduster

knuck le dust er |ˈnəkəlˌdəstər ˈnʌkldʌstər | ▶noun a metal guard worn over the knuckles in fighting to increase the effect of blows.

knucklehead

knuck le head |ˈnəkəlˌhed ˈnəkəlˌhɛd | ▶noun informal a stupid person.

knuckle joint

knuck le joint ▶noun a joint connecting two parts of a mechanism, in which a projection in one fits into a recess in the other.

knuckle sandwich

knuck le sand wich |ˈnəkəl ˈsænˌ (d )wɪtʃ | ▶noun informal a punch in the mouth.

Oxford Dictionary

knuckle

knuckle |ˈnʌk (ə )l | ▶noun a part of a finger at a joint where the bone is near the surface, especially where the finger joins the hand. • a projection of the carpal or tarsal joint of a quadruped. • a joint of meat consisting of the knuckle of an animal together with the adjoining parts: a knuckle of pork. ▶verb [ with obj. ] rub or press (something, especially the eyes ) with the knuckles. PHRASES near the knuckle Brit. informal verging on the indecent or offensive. PHRASAL VERBS knuckle down apply oneself seriously to a task. knuckle under submit to someone else's authority. DERIVATIVES knuckly adjective ORIGIN Middle English knokel (originally denoting the rounded shape when a joint such as the elbow or knee is bent ), from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch knökel, diminutive of knoke ‘bone ’. In the mid 18th cent. the verb knuckle (down ) expressed setting the knuckles down to shoot the taw in a game of marbles, hence the notion of applying oneself with concentration.

knuckleball

knuckle |ball |ˈnʌklbɔːl | ▶noun Baseball a slow pitch which moves erratically, made by releasing the ball from the knuckles of the first joints of the index and middle finger. DERIVATIVES knuckleballer noun

knucklebone

knuckle bone ▶noun 1 a bone forming or corresponding to a knuckle. • a knuckle of meat. 2 (knucklebones ) animal knucklebones used in the game of jacks. • the game of jacks.

knuckle-dragger

knuckle-dragger ▶noun informal a stupid or loutish man. DERIVATIVES knuckle-dragging adjective

knuckleduster

knuckle |dust ¦er |ˈnʌk (ə )ldʌstə | ▶noun a metal guard worn over the knuckles in fighting to increase the effect of blows.

knucklehead

knuckle |head |ˈnʌk (ə )lhɛd | ▶noun informal a stupid person. DERIVATIVES knuckleheaded adjective

knuckle joint

knuckle joint ▶noun a joint connecting two parts of a mechanism, in which a projection in one fits into a recess in the other.

knuckle sandwich

knuckle sand |wich ▶noun informal a punch in the mouth.

American Oxford Thesaurus

knuckle

knuckle verb PHRASES knuckle under the hostages agreed that they would not knuckle under: surrender, submit, capitulate, give in /up, yield, give way, succumb, back down, admit defeat, lay down one's arms, throw in the towel, climb down, quit, raise the white flag.

Oxford Thesaurus

knuckle

knuckle verb PHRASES knuckle under bombing does not always make the victims knuckle under: surrender, submit, capitulate, give in, give up, yield, give way, succumb, climb down, back down, quit, admit defeat, lay down one's arms, be defeated, be overcome, acquiesce, accede, accept, defer; informal throw in the towel, raise the white flag, throw in the sponge. ANTONYMS resist.

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

knuckle

knuck le /nʌ́k (ə )l /名詞 C 1 (特につけ根部分の )手指の関節 ; 〖the ～s 〗(こぶしを握ったときに突起する )指関節部, げんこつ .2 (四足動物の )膝（しつ）関節 ; その部位の肉 (片 ) 〘特に豚肉ベーコンなど〙.3 〖～s 〗メリケン (サック )(brass knuckles ).4 (ちょうつがい連結器の )つぼ金〘軸を通す部分〙.n è ar the kn ú ckle ｟英くだけて｠〈言葉冗談などが〉きわどい, 下品になりそうな, 失礼な, 人の気に障る (ほどの ).動詞他動詞 …をこぶし [指関節 ]で打つ [押す, こする ].自動詞 (指関節を地につけて )おはじきをはじく .kn ù ckle d ó wn 1 ｟くだけて｠ «仕事勉強などに /…するのに » 懸命にとりかかる, 精を出す «to /to do ing » .2 ＝knuckle under .kn ù ckle ú nder ｟くだけて｠ «…に » 屈する, 降参する «to » .～́ b à ll 〘野球〙ナックルボール .～̀ s á ndwich ｟俗｠(口への )パンチ .

knuckle(-)duster

kn ú ckle (-)d ù ster 名詞 C ｟主に英｠〖～s 〗＝brass knuckles .

knucklehead

kn ú ckle h è ad 名詞 C ｟くだけて｠まぬけ, ばか, うすのろ .