knot

Soft lump or unevenness in a yarn; either an imperfection or created by design.

Something twisted and tight and swollen.

“their muscles stood out in knots”

“his stomach was in knots”

A sandpiper that breeds in the Arctic and winters in the southern hemisphere.

A hard cross-grained round piece of wood in a board where a branch emerged.

“the saw buckled when it hit a knot”

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

A tight cluster of people or things.

“a small knot of women listened to his sermon”

“the bird had a knot of feathers forming a crest”

(of ships and wind) a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour or about 1.15 statute miles per hour.

Tie or fasten into a knot.

“knot the shoelaces”

Tangle or complicate.

Make into knots; make knots out of.

“She knotted her fingers”