knuckle

Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Origin: OE. knokel, knokil, AS. cuncel; akin to D. knokkel, OFries. knokele, knokle, G. knöchel, Sw. knoge, Dan. knokkel, G. knochen bone, and perh. to E. knock.

1. The joint of a finger, particularly when made prominent by the closing of the fingers. Sir William Davenant

2. The kneejoint, or middle joint, of either leg of a quadruped, especially of a calf; — formerly used of the kneejoint of a human being.

With weary knuckles on thy brim she kneeled sadly down.— Arthur Golding

3. The joint of a plant. obsolete Francis, Baron Verulam Bacon

4. Mechanics The joining parts of a hinge through which the pin or rivet passes; a knuckle joint.

5. Shipbuilding A convex portion of a vessel's figure where a sudden change of shape occurs, as in a canal boat, where a nearly vertical side joins a nearly flat bottom.

6. A contrivance, usually of brass or iron, and furnished with points, worn to protect the hand, to add force to a blow, and to disfigure the person struck; — called also knuckle duster, knuckles or brass knuckles. Slang.

Knuckle joint Machinery, a hinge joint, in which a projection with an eye, on one piece, enters a jaw between two corresponding projections with eyes, on another piece, and is retained by a pin which passes through the eyes and forms the pivot. — Knuckle of veal Cooking, the lower part of a leg of veal, from the line of the body to the knuckle.

To yield; to submit; — used with down, to, or under.

To knuckle to. (a) To submit to in a contest; to yield to. colloquial See To knock under, under Knock, intransitive verb (b) To apply one's self vigorously or earnestly to; as, to knuckle to work. colloquial

To beat with the knuckles; to pummel. rare Horace Smith.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54