knit

1 of 3

verb

ˈnit 

knit or knitted; knitting

transitive verb

1

: to form by interlacing yarn or thread in a series of connected loops with needles

2

a

: to link firmly or closely

knitted my hands

b

: to cause to grow together

time and rest will knit a fractured bone

c

: to contract into wrinkles

knitted her brow

3

chiefly dialectal : to tie together

intransitive verb

1

: to make knitted fabrics or objects

2

a

: to become compact

b

: to grow together

c

: to become drawn together

knitter noun

knit

2 of 3

noun

1

: knit stitch

2

a

: a knit fabric

b

knits plural : knitwear

knit

3 of 3

adjective

variants or knitted

1

: made from fabric formed by interlacing yarn or thread in a series of connected loops with needles : made from a knitted fabric

red knit socks

a knit/knitted cap

2

: involving connections or bonds between things or people

a novel with a tightly knit plot

… a closely knit team of specialists and medical care professionals.

—Dorothea D. Glass

A record is usually the result of a small, tightly knit team working in very close contact and with a continuity of attention.

—Brian Eno

Examples of knit in a Sentence

Verb

a style that knits together material from many different sources

a town knit together by farming

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Italian home, with kids watching football in the living room, a nonna knitting a blanket in the Italian tricolor, and three men playing the card game Scopa around a kitchen table, all wearing tracksuits Tanju has reinvented from the 113-year-old Italian brand’s illustrious archive. —Scarlett Conlon, CNN, 20 June 2024

Cross-training regimens mix it up, as do accessories—knit or patent leather, lime or metallic. —Steven Meisel, Vogue, 20 June 2024

Noun

Cara Cara Cara Cara’s resort 2025 collection continued the feminine brand’s strength in prints, while further establishing itself in categories like knits, separates and solid styles. —Emily Mercer, WWD, 19 June 2024

Jil Sander’s Alexander Calder-esque enamel pin makes a statement with its size, but its flat shape and neutral color won’t draw too much attention if pinned on a knit. —Ella Riley-Adams Jamie Sims Alice Newell-Hanson Jameson Montgomery Jameson Montgomery Caitie Kelly MacKenzie Oster, New York Times, 6 June 2024

Adjective

Featuring knit and crochet items, baby quilts, floral arrangements, jewelry and wooden crafts. —Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2024

The cozy knit style can be worn for a breezy afternoon at the beach or dressed up with a skirt in heels for dinner out on the Fourth of July or any time. —Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 18 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English knitten, from Old English cnyttan; akin to Old English cnotta knot

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing knit

• cable-knit
• close-knit
• double knit
• knit one's brow/brows
• knit stitch
• tight-knit
• warp knit
• weft knit
• well-knit

Kids Definition

knit

1 of 2 verb

ˈnit 

knit or knitted; knitting

1

: to form a fabric or garment by interlacing yarn or thread in connected loops with needles

knit a sweater

2

: to draw or come together closely as if knitted : unite firmly

wait for a broken bone to knit

3

: wrinkle entry 2

knit her brow

knitter noun

knit

2 of 2 noun

: a knit fabric or garment

Medical Definition

knit

verb

ˈnit 

knit or knitted; knitting

transitive verb

: to cause to grow together

time and rest will knit a fractured bone

intransitive verb

: to grow together

fractures in old bones knit slowly