▪ I. knop, n.1
(nɒp)
Forms: α. 4–6 knoppe, 5–6 knopp, knope, (6 noppe), 5– knop; 9 (dial.) knoop. β. 4–6 knappe, (5 cnap), 6 knapp, (knepp), 5– knap, (7–8 nap).
[ME. knop = OFris. knop, MDu. cnoppe, cnop (Du. knop), MLG. knoppe (hence Da. knop, Sw. knopp), OHG. chnoph, chnopf (G. knopf knob, head, knot, button, etc.) The form knap may repr. ON. knapp-r knob, stud, button (Sw. knapp, Da. knap), perh. cognate with OE. cnæp, knap n.1 The ulterior etymology is obscure.]
1. a. A small rounded protuberance, a knob (esp. one of an ornamental character, e.g. upon the stem of a chalice, a candlestick, etc.); a boss, stud, button, tassel, or the like; in Arch. = knob n. 1 d. Obs. or arch. exc. in specific applications.
(Sometimes prob. a carved representation of a flower-bud; cf. 2 below.)
| α ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 1080 With a bend of gold tasseled, And knoppis fyne of gold enameled. 1455 in Rymer Foedera (1710) XI. 369 With Knopps and Tassells. 1483 Cath. Angl. 205/2 A knoppe of a scho, bulla. 1527 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 225 Sex silver spones with knopis of oure Ladie. 1535 Coverdale Jer. lii. 22 Vpon the rope were brasen knoppes. 1676 Worlidge Cyder (1691) 182 A knop at the end of a slender handle or stick. 1861 Times 12 July, The crown and the knops which adorn the turret were gilt by him. 1865 S. Evans Bro. Fabian 105 Ornan..Unlooped the ruby knops Loosing her kirtle. |
| β [a 1000 in Wr.-Wülcker 238/33 Fibula, cnæp, sigl, spennels.] 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. vii. 257 His cloke of Calabre, with..knappes of Gold. 1420 E.E. Wills (1882) 45 A becure of seluer y-keueryd,..þe cnap of þe couercle ys an-amylyd with blewe. 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 80/2 Scourge him then with whips..with knaps of lead at the ends. 1577 Lanc. Wills (1857) II. 92 Twelve silver spones with kneppes gilt wrought with a lyon. 1623 Hart Arraignm. Ur. v. 27 To snatch and pull the naps of the coverlid. 17.. in Child Ballads viii. 295/2 The naps of gold were bobbing bonnie. |
b. A loop or tuft (often of different colour) formed in a strand of yarn for ornament. Also attrib. in knop yarn (see quots.).
| 1904 Goodchild & Tweney Technol. & Sci. Dict., Knop yarn. 1914 Barker & Midgley Analysis Woven Fabrics 272 Knop yarn.—A yarn upon which knops or lumps of yarn of one or more colours appear at intervals. 1929 Encycl. Brit. XXIII. 879/2 The knop yarn—in which knops are formed at any required intervals on an otherwise level thread by holding one thread tightly and allowing the second thread to run in slackly to form knops of the required size. 1964 Which? Sept. 284/2 Knop or nub, a compound yarn with lumps or balls of yarn at regular or irregular intervals. 1968 E. Gale From Fibres to Fabrics iv. 44 Knop yarn. Two threads are twisted together, with one at regular intervals being given in very rapidly so that it is wound round and round the first thread in the form of a hard knop or lump. |
2. a. The bud of a flower; a compact or rounded flower-head or seed-vessel. (Cf. knapweed.) arch.
| α 1388 Wyclif Num. xvii. 8 Whanne knoppis weren greet, the blossoms hadden broke out. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 280/2 Knoppe, or bud of a tre. 1495 Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. xvii. cxxxvi. (W. de W.) 692 The fruyte of the rose is smalle rounde knoppes [Bodl. MS. knappes] and harde. 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe 22 The rosis yong, new spreding of thair knoppis. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. xxv. §2. 217 At the top of the stalke growe small knops, from which come flowers. 1697 Phil. Trans. XIX. 793, I have..wondered..to see those little Snails..on the Knops and Branches of the Vine. 1871 G. M. Hopkins Jrnls. & Papers (1959) 209 Then the knot or ‘knoop’ of buds some shut, some just gaping. 1894 R. Bridges Shorter Poems 97 The chestnut holds her gluey knops upthrust. |
| β 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. xxiv. (MS. Bodl.) lf. 196 b/1 Þe cipresse..haþ leere knappes in stede of frute. 1578 Lyte Dodoens i. xxxii. 45 The floures..do likewise turne into little knappes, or heads. 1656 W. Coles Art of Simpling xii. 38 Some [seeds] grow in Knaps like Bottles, as Knap-weed. 1879 Britten & Holland Plant-n., Knap, flowers of Trifolium pratense. |
b. Hence, A popular name of Red Clover. U.S.
| 1897 Britten & Brown Flora North States II. 276 Trifolium pratense..Honeysuckle Clover, Knap, Suckles. |
† 3. a. The rounded protuberance formed by the front of the knee or the elbow-joint. Obs.
| α 14.. Nominale in Wr.-Wülcker 678/29 Hoc internodium, the knope of the kne. 1590 W. Burch MS. Scrap Bk. in Chapter Libr. Canterb. Cathedr., The Arme in lenghthe must com shorte of y⊇ knop of the kne. |
| β 1652 Burgh Rec. Glasgow (Burgh Rec. Soc.) II. 242 The knap of hir elbow. 1734 Act Crt. Session in N. & Q. 3rd Ser. IV. 125/2 Heads, knaps, tongues, and marrow bones cut out by themselves. c 1817 Hogg Tales & Sk. IV. 146 His breeches came exactly to the knap of the knee. |
b. A swelling upon the skin; a wart, pimple, etc.: = knob n. 1 b. Obs.
| 1556–8 T. Phaer æneid iv. L j, From a tender colt they take the knapp. 1562 Turner Baths 4 It is good..for suche as have any knoppes or hard swellinges upon any membre. 1598 Florio, Verruche,..also wartes or knops of flesh rising in the bodie. |
4. attrib. and Comb., as knop-fly (Angling) = knob-fly; knop-sedge, the bur-reed, Sparganium.
| 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 143 b, It maye be called bede sedge or knop sedge. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis iv. (Arb.) 113 For to snip, in the foaling, from front of fillye the knap⁓knob. 1799 G. Smith Laboratory II. 310 Knop-fly. Dubbing, of the down of an otter-cub. |
▪ II. knop, knap, n.2 north. dial.
(nɒp, næp)
[Origin obscure.]
A large wooden tub.
| α 1563 Richmond Wills (Surtees) 169 A kneadinge bassyn, a knoppe, a gielfatte. 1588 Lanc. Wills (1857) II. 75 The great brewinge knopp. 1614 Inv. in Trans. Cumbld. & Westmld. Arch. Soc. III. 114 One knopp one handle 2 salt pres dishes. 1802 in Anderson Cumbld. Ball. 51, I dung owre the knop. |
| β 1614 Inv. in Trans. Cumbld. & Westmld. Arch. Soc. III. 114 In the butterye 3 barrells 2 staues one Knapp. 1821 Blackw. Mag. VIII. 432 But stoups are needed, tubs, and pails, and knaps. |
▪ III. † knop, v. Obs.
[f. knop n.1]
1. trans. To furnish or adorn with knops; to stud.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 7260 High shoes knopped with dagges. 1483 Cath. Angl. 205/2 To Knoppe, bullare. 1505 Ld. Treas. Acc. Scot. (1901) III. 40 For ij pypanes blak silk to knop the said hat. 1539 in Inv. R. Wardrobe (1815) 52 Ane capparisone..bordourit with silvir and knoppit with silvir & yallow silk. |
2. intr. To put forth ‘knops’, to bud. Sc.
| a 1584 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 40 Sum knopping, sum dropping Of balmie liquor sweit. c 1600 J. Burel Pilgr. in Watson Coll. Sc. Poems (1706) ii. 23 Ranie Orion, That dropit and knopit, Baith upon tre and stone. |
▪ IV. knop
obs. form of knap n.1, v.1