▪ I. knead, v.
(niːd)
Pa. tense and pple. kneaded. Forms: see below.
[Orig. a strong vb.: OE. cnedan, pa. tense cnæd, pl. cnǽdon, pa. pple. cneden, = OS. knedan (found in pa. pple. giknedan: MDu. and Du. kneden), OHG. chnetan, cnetan (MHG. kneten, Ger. kneten):—OTeut. type *kned-, knad-, knǽdum, knedano-. A different formation of the present stem, with weak grade of root-vowel, appears in ON. knoða (Norw. knoda, Sw. knåda); cf. troða = Goth. trudan, to tread.
The modern form knead corresponds in spelling to tread:—OE. tredan, but has the original short unstopped vowel lengthened to (iː) as in mead, cat, meat. In some dialects, e.g. in Sc., the e remains short (nɛd) as in tread. The pa. tense *knad does not appear to be known in ME., where also the pa. pple. kneden was partly displaced by knoden (cf. trodden; also, ONorthumbr. ȝecnoeden); and eventually both pa. tense and pple. assumed the weak form kneaded. The shortened pa. pple. kned (knead) might arise out of either kneden, or kneded (kneaded).]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. pres. stem. 1 cnedan, 2–4 -en, 4–5 kneden, -yn, 5 cnede, 5–6 knede, 6–7 kneade, 6–8 kneed, (6–8 kned), 6– knead.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 134 Nim cumin and merces sæd and cnede to þan hlafe. c 1200 [see B. 1]. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 279/1 Knedyn paste, pinso [v.r. pistrio]. 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 594/23 Malaxo, to cnede. 1535 Coverdale Jer. vii. 17 The fathers kyndle the fyre, the mothers kneade the dowe, to bake cakes. 15.. Wyfe of Auchtermuchty v, First ye sall sift, and syne sall kned. 1573–80 Baret Alv. K 91 To knead dowe: waxe: or other things, depso. 1606 Knede [see B. 3]. 1653 Walton Angler viii. 171 You may kneade with your Paste..white or yellowish wool. |
2. pa. tense. α. 1 *cnæd, pl. cnǽdon, 2–4 *knad, 4 *knod. β. 6 kneed, kneded, 7– kneaded.
| 1537 Bible (Matthew) 1 Sam. xxviii. 24 The woman..toke flower & kneed it. 1539 Bible (Great) ibid., The woman..toke flowr and kneded it. 1660 Jer. Taylor Worthy Commun. ii. §2. 134 The fine meal that Sarah kneaded for the Angels entertainment. |
3. pa. pple. α. 1 ᵹecnoeden, cneden, 2–4 (i-) cneden, 5 kneden, 7 knedden. β. 4–6 knoden, (-yn, -on), 5–7 (dial. –9) knodden, 6 knodde. γ. 5 knedid, 6 knedded, (knoded), 7 kneeded, 7– kneaded. δ. 4–5 ikned(de, 5 knedde, 5–7 kned, 7 knead.
| α c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke xiii. 21 Dærste {thbar}..wif gehydeð in meolo..oððæt sie ᵹedærsted vel ᵹecnoeden [c 975 Rushw. Gosp. cneden] all. 13.. Propr. Sanct. (Vernon MS.) in Herrig Archiv LXXXI. 83/31 Þenne is hit..grounden to mele, ffeire I-kneden. 1495 Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. xvii. lxvii. 643 Mele..kneden and moulde to shape of louys and bake. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 472 Verie choice earth..verie cleane and verie well kneaden. |
| β c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. I. 223 Þat þis be not knodyn..in þe whete flour. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 280/1 Knodon, pistus. 14.. Noble Bk. Cookry (1882) 47 A paist of pured flour knoddene with mylk of almondes. 1550 Lever Serm., at Shrouds (Arb.) 46 Wheate..knoden into dough. 1550 Veron Godly Sayings (1846) 40 When ye were baptized, ye were as a man should say, knode together. 1562, 1688 Knodden [see B. 1]. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss. s.v., Clay or any soft substance is said to be knodden when indented with the fingers. |
| γ c 1490 Promp. Parv. 280/1 (MS. K) Knedid, pistus. 1550 R. Hutchinson Image of God vii. (1842) 37 The liquor of water knoded into dough. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron., Irel. 88 Hauing well nighe knedded the dough. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1705) 289 No Creature that's kneeded of Clay. 1819 Kneaded [see B. 2]. |
| δ 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. 67 (MS. Bodl.) lf. 206/2 Mele..is iknedde and ymolded to þe schap of loues and ibake. c 1400 Kned [see B. 2]. 1625 Tuke Conc. Holy Euchar. in Farr S.P. Jas. I (1848) 313 Wheat-flower, ground with man's hand, and knead. 1657 Trapp Comm. Esther vii. 6 Dirt kned with blood. |
B. Signification.
1. trans. To mix and work up into a homogeneous plastic mass, by successively drawing out, folding over, and pressing or squeezing together; esp. to work up (moistened flour or clay) into dough or a paste; to make (bread, pottery, etc.) by this process.
| c 950 [see A. 3 α]. c 1000 [see A. 1]. c 1200 Ormin 1486 Siþþenn winndwesst tu þin corn,..and grindesst itt, and cnedesst itt. c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 174 He half a busshel of hir flour hath take, And bad his wyf go knede it in a cake. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. cxlvii[i]. (MS. Bodl.) lf. 228 b/1, Storase..moche and grete in quantite..may be tempered and made rowe wiþ handelinge and knedinge in hande. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 160 Hellebore..knodden wyth mele and honye. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 166 Maides, three a clock, knede, lay your bucks, or go brew. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. vi. §56 A Simnell is a thick copped cake, or loaf made of white bread, knodden up with saffron and currans. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 331 Courser Wool of their Sheep stand[s] them in some stead, they kneading it into Felts. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery xiv. 263 Take some flour and knead it with oil. 1878 Smiles Robt. Dick iii. 18 The flour is mixed with yeast and salt and water laboriously kneaded together. |
2. fig. a. To blend, incorporate, weld together, or reduce to a common mass, as if by kneading. b. To manipulate, mould, shape, form, as by kneading.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 4811 It [love] is a sykenesse of the thought, Annexed and kned betwixe tweyne. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 45 Had gods or fortun no such course destenye knedded. 1647 H. More Song of Soul i. Introd. 12/2 No earth or other Orb as yet kned together. 1819 Shelley Prometh. Unb. i. 614 Mighty realms..Whose sons are kneaded down in common blood. 1848 H. Rogers in Edin. Rev. Apr. 329 Inconsistencies..incapable..of being kneaded into any harmonious system. 1871 B. Taylor Faust (1875) I. vii. 1 15 Knead and shape her to your thought. |
3. transf. a. To operate on or manipulate by an action similar to that in working dough, etc. Said esp. in reference to massage.
| 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. ii. iii. 231, I will knede him, Ile make him supple. 1841 Lane Arab. Nts. I. 121 And kneads his flesh. 1861 Geo. Eliot Silas M. v. 76 He turned his bed over, and shook it, and kneaded it. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 997 The muscles of the extremities and of the thorax should be gently kneaded. |
b. trans. and intr. To manipulate or paw repetitively with or as with the action of (the claws of) a cat.
| 1954 G. Durrell Bafut Beagles iii. 69 The cloud seemed to move,..padding and kneading the mountain crests like a cat on the arm of a gigantic chair. 1967 ‘T. Wells’ Dead by Light of Moon (1968) ii. 27 He..began to purr and knead at the blanket. 1968 V. Canning Melting Man vi. 144 The cat woke me by kneading determinedly on my chest. 1968 R. Sawkins Snow along Border xii. 102 It began kneading dough, claws exposed. |
Hence ˈkneaded, ˈkneading ppl. adjs.; also ˈkneadingly adv., in the manner of one who kneads.
| 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iii. i. 121, I, but to die!.. This sensible warme motion, to become A kneaded clod. 1738 G. Lillo Marina ii. i. 23 To bury kneaded earth for dead Marina. 1818 L. Hunt Foliage, Nymphs, She..pressed kneadingly, As though it had been wine in grapy coats. 1860 J. F. Campbell Tales W. Highland (1890) I. 163 He reached the kneading wife. |
▪ II. knead, n. rare—1.
[f. prec. vb.]
An act of kneading; an application of pressure in massage.
| 1854 Kane Grinnell Exp. xxxvi. 326 James Stewart..had to wag his leg half an hour..each wag being accompanied by a shampooing knead. |