flat knot
- noun
- /flæt nɑt/
- Specialized
:
nudo plano
- He tied a flat knot to secure the two ropes.
Examples
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The sailor used a flat knot to secure the sail's reef line.
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When tying packages, a flat knot ensures the strings stay tight without slipping.
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Learning how to tie a flat knot is essential for beginners in sailing.
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The sailor used a flat knot to fasten the sails.
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Learning how to tie a flat knot is essential for beginners in sailing.
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The sailor used a flat knot to secure the sail's reef line.
-
When tying packages, a flat knot ensures the strings stay tight without slipping.
Synonyms
95
1.0
A fastening made by tying rope or string to hold things together
1
3.9
A knot used to join two ends of rope or cord by tying two opposite small knots
A way of tying two rope ends by crossing them left then right to hold bandages or sails
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'a knot that lies flat / a flat-shaped knot' follows directly from combining 'flat' (having a plane surface) with 'knot' (a fastening), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a type of knot that lies flat (i.e. square/reef knot). This is a descriptive, compositional compound that matches common cross-linguistic noun+adjective patterns, making it readily comprehensible.
Etymology
Flat knot may come from how the knot looks when tied: the two rope parts lie side by side so the knot stays flat rather than bulging. One popular story says sailors used this 'square knot' to join two ropes and secure sails because a flat knot stays neat and is easy to untie, so the name shows both how it looks and what it does.