English dictionary

knuckle Meaning & Definition

Q: What is the plural of knuckle?

The plural of knuckle is knuckles.

Q: What is the past tense of knuckle?

The past tense of knuckle is knuckled. The present participle is knuckling.

/ˈnʌkəl/

What Does Knuckle Mean?

Knuckle is a noun that means Any of the joints between the bones of the fingers. It is also used to mean A mechanical joint. As a verb, it means To apply pressure, or rub or massage with one's knuckles (noun sense 1).

Knuckle at a Glance

Part of speech	noun, verb
Pronunciation	/ˈnʌkəl/
Synonyms	knuckle joint and metacarpophalangeal joint
Plural	knuckles
Verb forms	knuckles, knuckling, knuckled

Knuckle Definition (Noun)

Any of the joints between the bones of the fingers.
A mechanical joint.
The curved part of the cushion at the entrance to the pockets on a cue sports table.
The kneejoint of a quadruped, especially of a calf; formerly, the kneejoint of a human being.
A cut of meat of various kinds.
Beef knuckle is from the knee joint. Pork knuckle, or ham hock, is from the joint between the tibia/fibula and the metatarsals of the foot of a pig, where the foot was attached to the leg.
The joint of a plant.
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.
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; a knuckle duster.
brass knuckles
The rounded point where a flat changes to a slope on a piste.

Knuckle as a Verb

To apply pressure, or rub or massage with one's knuckles (noun sense 1).
He knuckled the sleep from his eyes.
To strike or punch.
To bend the fingers.
To touch one's forehead as a mark of respect.
To yield.
To land on the knuckle (noun sense 9) of a curve of a slope, after a jump off a ramp that precedes the slope.

Synonyms of Knuckle

knuckle jointmetacarpophalangeal joint

Knuckle synonyms and antonyms →

Knuckle in a Sentence

Beef knuckle is from the knee joint. Pork knuckle, or ham hock, is from the joint between the tibia/fibula and the metatarsals of the foot of a pig, where the foot was attached to the leg.

brass knuckles

He knuckled the sleep from his eyes.

She knuckled her eyes in disbelief.

Word Forms & Grammar

knuckle (plural knuckles)

knuckle (third-person singular simple present knuckles, present participle knuckling, simple past and past participle knuckled)

Words That Rhyme With Knuckle

chuckle suckle prickle buckle deckle truckle strickle frickle huckle picultrumpet honeysucklebush honeysucklebelt bucklecuckoldomwhite honeysuckleyellow honeysuckleeuropean fly honeysucklehairy honeysucklehimalaya honeysucklejamaica honeysuckleswamp honeysuckleamerican fly honeysuckleeuropean honeysucklestuckleswamp fly honeysuckleyuckelbuckelbuck hillchuck hillcoral honeysuckle

Origin of Knuckle

From Middle English knokel (“finger joint”), from Old English cnucel (“the juncture of two bones; knuckle; joint”), from Proto-West Germanic *knukil, from Proto-Germanic *knukilaz (“knuckle, knot, bump”), as *knukô (“bone, joint”) +‎ *-ilaz (diminutive suffix). Cognate with Dutch knokkel (“knuckle”), Low German Knökel (“knuckle”), German Knöchel (“ankle, knuckle”), Old Norse knykill. More at knock.

Quick Answers About Knuckle

Is knuckle a noun or a verb?

Knuckle is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for knuckle?

You can replace knuckle with words such as knuckle joint and metacarpophalangeal joint. See the full list of knuckle synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of knuckle?

The plural of knuckle is knuckles.

What is the past tense of knuckle?

The past tense of knuckle is knuckled. The present participle is knuckling.