knack en · NOUN
Pronunciation
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.
Meanings
-
A readiness in performance; aptness at doing something.
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.
2011 October 2, Jonathan Jurejko, “Bolton 1–5 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport: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.
1945 January and February, A Former Pupil, “Some memories of Crewe Works—III”, in Railway Magazine, page 14:The sophist runs for cover to the darkness of what is not and attaches himself to it by some knack of his;
2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 254a:
- A petty contrivance; a toy.
- Something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| knacks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
facility · trick · dexterity · toy · skill · plaything · knickknack · feeling · device
Translations (64)
es aptitud (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · uk впра́вність (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · uk упра́вність (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cy dawn (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · hu érzék (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · de Kunst (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · fi taito (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · de Trick (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · de Gabe (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · pl smykałka (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cs fortel (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cs talent (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · de Schnickschnack (a petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack) · it pallino (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · de Fertigkeit (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · ja 才覚 (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · hu mütyürke (a petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack) · uk трюк (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · ka გაწაფულობა (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · de Kunststück (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · ka ხერხი (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · hu képesség (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cs finta (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · hu ügyesség (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · fr chic (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · hu dísztárgy (a petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack) · ka ცოდნა (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · hu tehetség (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · es chisme (a petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack) · ga féith (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cs zručnost (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cs schopnost (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · bg цака (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · cmn 訣竅 /诀窍 (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · pdt Bejriff (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cs trik (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · hu nyitja (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · ka უნარი (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · tr ustalık (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · hu csetresz (a petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack) · pl dryg (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · tr yetenek (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · es pegarle a (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · tr marifet (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · de Kniff (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · de Spielzeug (a petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack) · de Geschick (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · de Talent (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · uk фо́кус (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · hu nipp (a petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack) · cs fígl (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · pl żyłka (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · bg сръчност (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · pt talento (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · ru сноровка (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · kk тетік (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · pl biegłość (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cs obratnost (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · es truco (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · de Kunstfertigkeit (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · hu fortély (something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device) · hu csecsebecse (a petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack) · bg похватност (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity) · cs dovednost (a readiness in performance; aptness at doing something; skill; facility; dexterity)