knuckle down
əl noun
1.
a joint of a finger, especially 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 joint of meat, consisting of the parts about the carpal or tarsal joint of a quadruped.
4.
an angle or protrusion at the intersection of two members or surfaces, as in the timbers of a ship or in a roof.
6.
a cylindrical projecting part on a hinge, through which an axis or pin passes; the joint of a hinge.
7.
(in a wire mesh) a bend in a wire crossing another wire.
8.
(on a chair arm) one of the ridges left at the front end by longitudinal flutes carved to accommodate the fingers.
9.
Nautical. a pronounced edge formed by a change in the form of the shell of a hull.
verb (used with object)
10.
to rub or press with the knuckles.
11.
Marbles. to shoot (a marble) from the thumb and forefinger.
00:10
Knuckle down
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
12.
knuckle down,
a.
to apply oneself vigorously and earnestly; become serious: Just knuckle down for an hour or so and finish the work.
b.
Also, knuckle under. to submit; yield.
Origin:
1325–75; Middle English knokel (akin to Dutch kneukel, German Knöchel), diminutive of a word represented by Dutch knok, German Knochen bone; see -le
1325–75; Middle English knokel (akin to Dutch kneukel, German Knöchel), diminutive of a word represented by Dutch knok, German Knochen bone; see -le
Related forms
knuck·ly, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To knuckle down
Collins
World English Dictionary
knuckle (ˈnʌkəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a joint of a finger, esp that connecting a finger to the hand |
| 2. | a joint of veal, pork, etc, consisting of the part of the leg below the knee joint, often used in making stews or stock |
| 3. | the cylindrical portion of a hinge through which the pin passes |
| 4. | an angle joint between two members of a structure |
| 5. | informal near the knuckle approaching indecency |
| —vb | |
| 6. | (tr) to rub or press with the knuckles |
| 7. | (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] | |
| 'knuckly | |
| —adj | |
| knuckle down | |
| —vb | |
| informal (intr, adverb) to apply oneself diligently: to knuckle down to some work | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
knuckle
late 14c., knokel "finger joint," common Gmc. (cf. M.L.G. knökel, M.Du. cnockel, Ger. knöchel), lit. "little bone," a dim. of P.Gmc. root *knuck- "bone" (cf. Ger. Knochen "bone). To knuckle down "apply oneself earnestly" is 1864 in Amer.Eng., extended from game of marbles; to knuckle under
is first recorded 1740. Knuckle-duster is from 1858; knucklehead "stupid person" first recorded 1944. Knuckleball, type of baseball pitch, is from 1927.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
knuckle knuck·le (nŭk'əl)
n.
The prominence of the dorsal aspect of a joint of a finger, especially of one of the joints that connect the fingers to the hand.
A rounded protuberance formed by the bones in a joint.
A kink or loop of intestine, as in a hernia.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang Dictionary
knuckle down (to (sth)) definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
knuckle down
-
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.
-
See knuckle under.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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