knot

• Nœud fait en serrant ensemble des brins de corde, de ficelle ou d'autre matériau flexible, ou masse enchevêtrée dans les cheveux, le bois ou un autre matériau.

A noun referring to a fastening made by tying together pieces of string, rope, or other flexible material, or a tangled mass in hair, wood, or other material.

1. Tied rope or stringA2formal

   A fastening made by looping and tightening a piece of rope, string, or cord.

   nœud (dans une corde)

   • He tied a strong knot in the rope.
   • The sailor showed me how to make a bowline knot.
   • She struggled to undo the tight knot in her shoelaces.

   Synonymesbendfasteninghitchlooptie

2. Hard lump in woodB1formal

   A hard, dark spot in wood where a branch once grew.

   Nœud dans le bois

   • The wooden table had several knots in its surface.
   • He sanded down the knot to make the wood smooth.
   • Knots in timber can sometimes weaken the wood.

   Synonymesburlgnarl

3. B2formal

   A unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, used for ships and aircraft.

   nœud (unité de vitesse)

   • The ship was traveling at 20 knots.
   • The wind speed reached 30 knots during the storm.
   • The aircraft maintained a cruising speed of 500 knots.

4. Tight feeling in bodyB2informal

   A tight, painful feeling in a muscle or in the stomach, often caused by stress or anxiety.

   Nœud (sensation de tension)

   • I have a knot in my stomach from all the stress.
   • She felt a knot in her shoulder after sitting at the desk all day.
   • The massage helped release the knot in his back.

   Synonymesconstrictioncrampspasmtensiontightness

• Verbe utilisé pour désigner l'action de nouer ou d'attacher quelque chose avec un nœud, ou de former un nœud.

A verb used to indicate the act of tying or fastening something with a knot.

1. Tie a knotA2formal

   To fasten or secure something by tying a knot.

   Nouer

   • She knotted the rope around the tree.
   • He knotted his tie carefully before the meeting.
   • They knotted the string to keep the package closed.

   Synonymesbindfastensecuretie

   Antonymesloosenunbindundounfastenuntie

2. Become tangled or twistedB1informal

   To become twisted or tangled into a knot-like shape.

   se nouer, s'emmêler

   • Her hair knotted in the wind.
   • The wires knotted together behind the desk.
   • The thread knotted as she tried to sew.

   Synonymesentangleintertwineravelsnarltangletwist