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knot

knot

4 9.8
A small migratory shorebird with reddish brown feathers in summer
  • noun
  • /nɑt/
translation icon : correlimos gordo
  • Numerous shorebirds and seabirds appear here, including red knots and various gulls and terns.
  • red knot

Examples

  • One Nearctic-Neotropical migrant that uses Delaware as a stopover is a type of sandpiper known as the red knot.

    Academic text (2010)
  • During migration, the red knot can be seen foraging along the mudflats in Delaware Bay.

  • Red knots take flight along the Delaware shore.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Then, just before mid-May, the red knots fly 4,000 miles nonstop to Delaware Bay.

    Academic text (2010)
  • A half-dozen populations or subspecies of red knots exist worldwide, each with its own breeding and wintering zones and migration route.

    Academic text (2010)
  • In the Arctic, the calidris canutus, also known as the red knot, is famous for its stunning reddish-brown feathers.

  • As winter approaches, the red knot travels thousands of miles to spend its seasons along warmer coasts.

Synonyms

Calidris canutus
vsknot
  • Specialized
9.9

A medium-sized bird called the red knot that breeds in the Arctic and moves south for the winter

is the common everyday name used instead of the Latin term

Idioms

to tie the knot
  • Informal
26 3.1

To get married and begin life together as a couple

To become upset or worried about something not important

To become upset over a small problem

Get very upset or worried about something small

Compounds

Gordian knot
  • Literature
1 9.9

A very difficult problem with no easy solution

square knot
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A knot used to join two ends of rope or cord by tying two opposite small knots

1 4.4

A wide, triangular knot for tying a tie that gives a formal look

bowline knot
  • Specialized
1 7.3

A way of tying a rope to make a fixed loop that will not slip or jam

barrel knot
  • Jargon
1 8.6

A knot people who fish use to join two lines by wrapping the ends together

fisherman's knot
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A way of tying two fishing lines together so they hold well

1 5.3

A fixed ring in a rope that does not slip or change size

1 6.4

A knot used to show love and a close connection

granny knot
  • Specialized
1 8.5

A weak way of tying rope or laces that slips open easily

You make it by passing the rope end over itself and pulling it through the loop

blood knot
  • Specialized
7.7

A strong knot for joining two fishing lines by wrapping their ends

black knot
  • Specialized
8.8

A disease that makes black, hard lumps on cherry and plum branches

A knot that keeps air or helium inside a balloon

flat knot
  • Specialized
3.6

A simple tie that joins two ropes securely, often used in sailing and wrapping packages

French knot
  • Jargon
7.2

A small raised knot on fabric made by winding thread around a needle

5.4

A decorative loop of rope or ribbon used as a sign of love

A decorative knot used on jewelry to show love between two people

Matthew Walker knot
  • Specialized
9.9

A knot tied at the end of a rope to stop the end passing through an opening

prolonge knot
  • Archaic
9.9

A way of tying a rope to attach and pull a cannon carriage

reef knot
  • Specialized
5.2

A way of tying two rope ends by crossing them left then right to hold bandages or sails

7.9

A hard piece of pine wood from where a branch meets the trunk that burns brightly

surgeon's knot
  • Specialized
7.7

A knot with an extra twist used to tie stitches or join two lines

A small decorative cord or tassel that hangs from a sword hilt and keeps the sword tied to the wrist

A decorative knot used as a sign of love, often seen in jewelry

A decorative knot design that shows love and loyalty in jewelry

A knot used to join the ends of two ropes so they stay together

A way of joining two ropes used as a symbol of love

stopper knot
  • Specialized
5.8

A way of tying the end of a rope to stop it slipping through a hole

weaver's knot
  • Specialized
8.9

To tie one rope or thread temporarily to the middle of another rope to join them

Surface Forms

knot singular
knots plural

Etymology

A helpful way to remember the bird knot is that its name comes from old words for a 'knot' because these shore birds often gather in tight, round flocks; the name stuck to the migratory sandpiper. So the sea bird called the knot is named for how it moves and feeds together in groups.