knucklenoun/ˈnʌkəl/

• 1

  Any of the joints between the bones of the fingers.

• 2

  A mechanical joint.

• 3

  ball-gamesbilliardsgamesThe curved part of the cushion at the entrance to the pockets on a cue sports table.

• 4

  The kneejoint of a quadruped, especially of a calf; formerly, the kneejoint of a human being.

  • With wearie knockles on thy brim she kneeled sadly downe
• 5

  A cut of meat of various kinds.

  • Beef knuckle is from the knee joint. Pork knuckle, or ham hock, is from the joint between the tibia/fibula and the metatarsals of the foot of a pig, where the foot was attached to the leg.
• 6

  obsoleteThe joint of a plant.

  • In the West Indies there are found, even in sandy deserts and very dry places, large canes, which at every joint or knuckle yield a good supply of fresh water
• 7

  businessmanufacturingshipbuildingA 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.

• 8

  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; a knuckle duster.

  • brass knuckles

knuckleverb/ˈnʌkəl/

• 1

  To apply pressure, or rub or massage with one's knuckles (noun sense 1).

  • He knuckled the sleep from his eyes.
  • She knuckled her eyes in disbelief.
• 2

  slangTo strike or punch.

  • I could feel my big toe snap, but as he's gone down on his good knee and half swung round I knuckled him in the kidney as hard as I could hit. He's gone all the way down, so I dropped my 19 stone into the middle of his back.
  • Only then I knuckled him. He had to be taught a hard lesson.
• 3

  To bend the fingers.

• 4

  To touch one's forehead as a mark of respect.

• 5

  To yield.

• 6

  hobbieslifestyleskiingTo land on the knuckle (noun sense 9) of a curve of a slope, after a jump off a ramp that precedes the slope.