Definition of knuckle - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
finger jointjoint between the bones of the fingers
- He cracked his knuckles loudly.
2.
culinarycut of meat from the leg
- She cooked a delicious knuckle stew.
3.
engineeringTECH. mechanical joint in machineryTECH.
- The machine's knuckle needed lubrication.
4.
skiingTECH. rounded point on a ski slopeTECH.
- He landed on the knuckle after the jump.
Verb
1.
pressing actiontr. press or rub with the knucklestr.
- He knuckled his eyes tiredly..
2.
hittingtr. strike or punch using the knucklestr.
- He knuckled the punching bag with force.
3.
conflictintr. US yield or give inintr. US
- She finally knuckled under the pressure.
4.
gesturetr. Dated UK touch forehead as a mark of respecttr. Dated UK
- He knuckled his forehead to the elder.
Images of knuckle

cut of meat from the leg 
mechanical joint in machinery 
rounded point on a ski slope
Expressions with knuckle
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
start working hard and seriously
After the break, she decided to knuckle down and finish her thesis..
close to being offensive or inappropriate
His jokes are often near the knuckle.
yield to pressure or authority unwillingly
He finally decided to knuckle under to his boss's demands.
any joint of the fingers
He cracked his knuckle joints loudly.
metal weapon worn on the knuckles for punching
He was arrested for carrying knuckle dusters.
metal weapon worn over the knuckles for striking
He was arrested for carrying a knuckle-duster in his pocket..
involving physical fighting without gloves
The bare-knuckle boxing match was intense and brutal..
very exciting and a little scary at the same time
It was a white-knuckle ride from start to finish.
Origin of knuckle
Middle English, knokel (joint) + -le (diminutive suffix)
Terms with knuckle included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
games
playful headlock with knuckle rub on head
vehicle part
part of a vehicle's steering system that connects to the steering knuckle
military
double-edged knife with knuckle-duster handle for trench fighting
medical
bone forming a knuckle in hand or paw
Examples of knuckle in a sentence
The knuckle was swollen after the fall. The butcher recommended the knuckle for roasting. Knuckle cuts are popular in traditional recipes. The engineer inspected the knuckle for wear. A broken knuckle can halt production. The skier avoided the knuckle during his descent.
Snowboarders often gather at the knuckle to watch jumps. She knuckled the dough to mix it thoroughly. He knuckled the table in frustration. She knuckled him playfully on the arm. The boxer knuckled his opponent swiftly. He refused to knuckle under the demands. They eventually knuckled under the intense negotiations. She knuckled her forehead in respect to the queen. The soldier knuckled his forehead to the commanding officer.
View all translations of knuckle
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:jointure, frotter avec les jointures, ...
- German:Fingerknöchel, mit den Knöcheln reiben, ...
- Italian:nocca, strofinare con le nocche, ...
- Spanish:nudillo, frotar con los nudillos, ...
- Portuguese:nó dos dedos, esfregar com os nós dos dedos, ...
- Chinese:指关节, 用指关节按压, ...
- Japanese:指の関節, こする, ...
- Arabic:عُقْلَة, فَرَكَ, ...
- Hebrew:פֶּרֶק אֶצְבַּע, לְשַׁפְשֵׁף בִּפְרָקֵי הָאֶצְבָּעוֹת, ...
- Russian:костяшка, тереть костяшками пальцев, ...
- Ukrainian:суглоб, терти кісточками пальців, ...
- Hindi:उँगली का जोड़, पोरों से मलना, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the