knot

(noun) a tight cluster of people or things. Examples: "A small knot of women listened to his sermon." "The bird had a knot of feathers forming a crest."

(noun) any of various fastenings formed by looping and tying a rope (or cord) upon itself or to another rope or to another object.

(noun) a hard cross-grained round piece of wood in a board where a branch emerged. Examples: "The saw buckled when it hit a knot."

(noun) something twisted and tight and swollen. Synonyms: gnarl. Examples: "Their muscles stood out in knots." "The old man's fists were two great gnarls." "His stomach was in knots."

(noun) a unit of length used in navigation; exactly 1,852 meters; historically based on the distance spanned by one minute of arc in latitude. Synonyms: nautical mile, mile, mi, naut mi, international nautical mile, air mile.

(noun) soft lump or unevenness in a yarn; either an imperfection or created by design. Synonyms: slub, burl.

(noun) a sandpiper that breeds in the Arctic and winters in the southern hemisphere. Synonyms: greyback, grayback, Calidris canutus.

(verb) make into knots; make knots out of. Examples: "She knotted her fingers."

(verb) tie or fasten into a knot. Examples: "Knot the shoelaces."

(verb) tangle or complicate. Synonyms: ravel, tangle. Examples: "A ravelled story."