Knuckle

Knuckle

Noun / Verb · /ˈnʌk.əl/

Definition

(Noun) a joint of a finger, especially one that protrudes when the hand is clenched; a cut of meat from the leg joint of a pig or other animal; (Verb) to knuckle down — to apply oneself seriously to a task; to knuckle under — to submit or yield to pressure.

Origin

From Middle Low German knökel or Middle Dutch cneukel, a diminutive of knoke (bone). The same Germanic root gives us the bone sense. Used in English from the 14th century.