KNIT (knitted, knitting)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: knitted    , knitting   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does knit mean? 

• KNIT (noun)
  The noun KNIT has 3 senses:

1. a fabric made by knitting

2. a basic knitting stitch made by putting the needle through the front of the stitch from the lefthand side

3. needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine

  Familiarity information: KNIT used as a noun is uncommon.

• KNIT (verb)
  The verb KNIT has 3 senses:

1. make (textiles) by knitting

2. tie or link together

3. to gather something into small wrinkles or folds

  Familiarity information: KNIT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• KNIT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A fabric made by knitting

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("knit" is a kind of...):

cloth; fabric; material; textile (artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "knit"):

balbriggan (a cotton knit fabric used for underwear)

double knit (a knit fabric similar to jersey that is made with two sets of needles producing a double thickness joined by interlocking stitches)

jersey (a slightly elastic machine-knit fabric)

stockinet; stockinette (knit used especially for infants' wear and undergarments)

tricot (a knitted fabric or one resembling knitting)

Derivation:

knit (make (textiles) by knitting)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A basic knitting stitch made by putting the needle through the front of the stitch from the lefthand side

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

knit; knit stitch; plain; plain stitch

Hypernyms ("knit" is a kind of...):

knitting stitch (a stitch taken in knitting)

Derivation:

knit (make (textiles) by knitting)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

knit; knitting; knitwork

Hypernyms ("knit" is a kind of...):

needlecraft; needlework (a creation created or assembled by needle and thread)

Domain member category:

bind off; tie up (finish the last row)

Derivation:

knit (make (textiles) by knitting)

knit (tie or link together)

• KNIT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they knit    ... he / she / it knits   
Past simple: knit    / knitted   
Past participle: knit    / knitted   
-ing form: knitting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make (textiles) by knitting

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

knit a scarf

Hypernyms (to "knit" is one way to...):

create from raw material; create from raw stuff (make from scratch)

"Knit" entails doing...:

run up; sew; sew together; stitch (fasten by sewing; do needlework)

Domain category:

handicraft (a craft that requires skillful hands)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "knit"):

purl (knit with a purl stitch)

rib (form vertical ribs by knitting)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They knit the cape

Derivation:

knit (needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine)

knit (a basic knitting stitch made by putting the needle through the front of the stitch from the lefthand side)

knit (a fabric made by knitting)

knitter (someone who makes garments (or fabrics) by intertwining yarn or thread)

knitting (creating knitted wear)

knitting (needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Tie or link together

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

entwine; knit

Hypernyms (to "knit" is one way to...):

conjoin; join (make contact or come together)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "knit"):

purl stitch (make with purl stitches)

intertwine; loop (make a loop in)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

knit (needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine)

Sense 3

Meaning:

To gather something into small wrinkles or folds

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

cockle; crumple; knit; pucker; rumple

Context example:

She puckered her lips

Hypernyms (to "knit" is one way to...):

crease; crinkle; crisp; ruckle; scrunch; scrunch up; wrinkle (make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; 'crisp' is archaic)

Verb group:

draw (contract)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Several knit, and a few sew a little.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Mrs. Heep, with a prodigious sniff, resumed her knitting.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

She told her story, expecting to be consoled, but Laurie only put his hands in his pockets and walked about the room, whistling softly, as he knit his brows in deep thought.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Material formed by weaving, knitting, felting, or pressing fibers together.

(Cloth, NCI Thesaurus)

He shot a mischievous glance at my mother as he spoke, and she laid down her knitting on her lap and looked very earnestly at him.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

His brows are knit; his face is drawn with pain.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

And again, on Emma's merely turning her head to look at Mrs. Bates's knitting, she added, in a half whisper, I mentioned no names, you will observe.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

And camp they did, till Buck’s ribs knitted and he was able to travel.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

It did all our hearts good to see him spit in his hand, knit his brows, and make the blade sing through the air.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Sherlock Holmes sat silent for some few minutes, with his brows knitted and his eyes fixed upon the fire.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)