The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

knead \knead\, v. i.
   To perform movements like kneading, with the paws; -- said of
   cats, which may knead[3] a master's body when stroked,
   presumably a sign of contentment; as, a cat kneading and
   purring in his master's lap.
   [PJC]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Knead \Knead\ (n[=e]d), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Kneaded; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Kneading.] [OE. kneden, As. cnedan; akin to D.
   kneden, G. kneten, Sw. kn[*a]da, Icel. kno[eth]a; cf. OSlav.
   gnesti.]
   1. To work and press into a mass, usually with the hands;
      esp., to work, as by repeated pressure with the knuckles,
      into a well mixed mass, as the materials of bread, cake,
      etc.; as, to knead dough.
      [1913 Webster]

            The kneading, the making of the cake, the heating of
            the oven, and the baking.             --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Fig.: To treat or form as by kneading; to beat.
      [1913 Webster]

            I will knead him : I'll make him supple. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To press repeatedly with the hands or knuckles, sometimes
      with a twisting or squeezing motion; -- performed for
      example on the body of a person as a form of massage.
      [PJC]

   Kneading trough, a trough or tray in which dough is
      kneaded. --Ex. viii. 3.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

knead
    v 1: make uniform; "knead dough"; "work the clay until it is
         soft" [syn: knead, work]
    2: manually manipulate (someone's body), usually for medicinal
       or relaxation purposes; "She rubbed down her child with a
       sponge" [syn: massage, rub down, knead]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

110 Moby Thesaurus words for "knead":
   admix, alloy, amalgamate, bemingle, blend, block out, caress,
   carve, cast, chisel, coalesce, combine, commingle, commix, compose,
   compound, concoct, conglomerate, create, cushion, cut, ease,
   efform, emulsify, fashion, feel up, figure, fix, fluff, fondle,
   forge, form, formalize, found, frame, frictionize, fuse, gentle,
   hash, hew, homogenize, immingle, immix, integrate, interblend,
   interlace, interlard, intermingle, intermix, intertwine,
   interweave, jumble, knock out, laxate, lay out, lick into shape,
   limber, limber up, loosen, mash, massage, mellow, merge, milden,
   mingle, mingle-mangle, mint, mix, mix up, model, mold, mollify,
   nose, nuzzle, pet, plump, pulp, relax, rough out, roughcast,
   roughhew, rub, rub against, rub down, rub noses, scramble, sculpt,
   sculpture, set, shake up, shape, shuffle, smash, soften, soften up,
   squash, stamp, stir up, stroke, subdue, supple, syncretize, tailor,
   tenderize, thermoform, throw together, tone down, toss together,
   tune down, work



Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Knead
   to prepare dough in the process of baking (Gen. 18:6; 1 Sam.
   28:24; Hos. 7:4).