knack
/næk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.26 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A readiness in performance; aptness at doing something.
noun
A petty contrivance; a toy.
verb
To speak affectedly.
name
A surname.
Example Sentences
- "These men had some uncanny knack of knowing when the steel was right, and like many such things, it just could not be put into a textbook on the subject."
- "The sophist runs for cover to the darkness of what is not and attaches himself to it by some knack of his;"
- "And the Premier League's all-time top-goalscoring midfielder proved he has not lost the knack of being in the right place at the right time with a trio of clinical finishes."
- "If they hear the Beads knack upon each other, that's enough."
Etymology
Late Middle English, use as "special skill" from 1580. Possibly from 14th century Middle English krak, knack (“a sharp sound or blow”), knakke, knakken, from Middle Low German and of imitative origin, similar to Dutch knak (“snap, crack”). Latter cognate to German knacken (“to crack”). See also crack.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: -, krak, genack