From Middle English kneden, from Old English cnedan, from Proto-West Germanic *knedan, from Proto-Germanic *knudaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gnet- (“to press together”).
Meanings
The act of kneading something.
Do not expect the dough to be very manageable even after a good knead. 2011, Andrew Whitley, Bread Matters:
From Middle English kneden, from Old English cnedan, from Proto-West Germanic *knedan, from Proto-Germanic *knudaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gnet- (“to press together”).
Meanings
(transitive) To work and press into a mass, usually with the hands; especially, to work, as by repeated pressure with the knuckles, into a well mixed mass, the materials of bread, cake, etc.
Knead the dough by pressing down on it with the heels of both your palms and pushing it forward to stretch it, then pulling it back toward you... 2001, Özcan Ozan, Carl Tremblay, The Sultan's Kitchen: A Turkish Cookbook:
(figuratively, transitive) To treat or form as if by kneading; to beat.
I will knead him: I'll make him supple. c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
(intransitive) Of cats, to make an alternating pressing motion with the two front paws.
One of the most characteristic things that cats do is ”knead,” pushing their paws alternately against any invitingly soft area of their human friends' bodies like a baker kneading dough. 2001, John C. Wright, Judi Wright Lashnits, Ain't Misbehavin', Rodale, →ISBN, page 44:
Why do cats knead? When kittens are nursing, they knead against their mothers' bellies to draw out milk. A relaxed adult cat kneads your leg or a couch cushion to show that he's happy and content, as he was when he was a nursing baby. 2012, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Cat Lover's Companion, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:
Cats knead with their paws when happy, just as they kneaded when feeding from their mothers as kittens. 1991, Grace McHattie, That's cats!: a compendium of feline facts:
(transitive) To mix thoroughly; form into a homogeneous compound.
make muffins (of cats, to make an alternating pressing motion) · make biscuits (of cats, to make an alternating pressing motion) · amalgamate (mix)
Translations (137)
gl amasar (to work and press into a mass) · ja 練る (to work and press into a mass) · nl kneden (to work and press into a mass) · vi nhào (to work and press into a mass) · ru заме́шивать (to work and press into a mass) · zza mişte kerdene (to work and press into a mass) · ko 꾹꾹이 ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · pl miesić (to work and press into a mass) · it massaggiare (to work and press into a mass) · ky жууруу (to work and press into a mass) · mt għaġen (to work and press into a mass) · rar pōpō (to work and press into a mass) · pa ਗੁੰਨ੍ਹਣਾ (to work and press into a mass) · tr masaj yapmak ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · ty nane (to work and press into a mass) · uk міси́ти (to work and press into a mass) · gld монгичи- (to work and press into a mass) · no kna (to work and press into a mass) · ur گُون٘دْھنا (to work and press into a mass) · pl ugniatać ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · be мясі́ць (to work and press into a mass) · fi leipoa ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · evn мэнӈимӣ (to work and press into a mass) · fr tricoter ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · es hiñir (to work and press into a mass) · rup frimintu (to work and press into a mass) · tl lapisain (to work and press into a mass) · tyz cặn (to work and press into a mass) · sk hniesť (to work and press into a mass) · hu dagaszt (to work and press into a mass) · ka ზელა (to work and press into a mass) · tr yoğurmak (to work and press into a mass) · es amasar (to work and press into a mass) · xfa fico (fico) (to work and press into a mass) · ar دَلَكَ (to work and press into a mass) · alt јуурар (to work and press into a mass) · fr pétrir (to work and press into a mass) · sh гњечити (to work and press into a mass) · kpv лойны (to work and press into a mass) · ro frământa (to work and press into a mass) · ko 이기다 (to work and press into a mass) · cmn 搓揉 (to work and press into a mass) · mn зуурах (to work and press into a mass) · fi sotkea (to work and press into a mass) · tr yoğurmak ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · gl traballar (to work and press into a mass) · bg меся (to work and press into a mass) · zza alawıtene (diq) (to work and press into a mass) · ota یوغورمق (to work and press into a mass) · it impastare (to work and press into a mass) · pt amassar (to work and press into a mass) · la depsō (to work and press into a mass) · pt sovar (to work and press into a mass) · zza ra'lütene (to work and press into a mass) · fr patouner ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · ka დაზელა (to work and press into a mass) · pl zagniatać (to work and press into a mass) · sv knåda (to work and press into a mass) · sl gnesti (to work and press into a mass) · sq ngjesh (to work and press into a mass) · ary عْجن (to work and press into a mass) · pl gnieść (to work and press into a mass) · sq mbruaj (to work and press into a mass) · grc μάσσω (to work and press into a mass) · mi pokepoke (to work and press into a mass) · it amalgamare (to work and press into a mass) · it comprimere (to work and press into a mass) · km ច្របល់ (to work and press into a mass) · sl mesiti (to work and press into a mass) · qu q'apiy (to work and press into a mass) · eo knedi (to work and press into a mass) · mi poke (to work and press into a mass) · gag yuurmaa (to work and press into a mass) · da ælte (to work and press into a mass) · io petrisar (to work and press into a mass) · it impastare ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · es heñir (to work and press into a mass) · cy tylino (to work and press into a mass) · ja ふみふみ ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · tr yoğurma hareketi yapmak ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · cs hníst (to work and press into a mass) · eve монӈа- (to work and press into a mass) · az yoğurmaq (to work and press into a mass) · alt јураар (to work and press into a mass) · az ovmaq (to work and press into a mass) · es mullir (to work and press into a mass) · la fingō (to work and press into a mass) · fi vaivata (to work and press into a mass) · tk ýugurmak (to work and press into a mass) · mi pōpō (to work and press into a mass) · es malaxar (to work and press into a mass) · mi poi (to work and press into a mass) · enm kneden (to work and press into a mass) · ka ჟღვლემა (to work and press into a mass) · it manipolare (to work and press into a mass) · fa ورز دادن (to work and press into a mass) · sh gnječiti (to work and press into a mass) · udm лайыны (to work and press into a mass) · hy հունցել (to work and press into a mass) · yi קנעטן (to work and press into a mass) · mk меси (to work and press into a mass) · rar natu (to work and press into a mass) · wa prusti (to work and press into a mass) · de kneten (to work and press into a mass) · krl vualie (to work and press into a mass) · ml കുഴയ്ക്കുക (to work and press into a mass) · pl ugniatać (to work and press into a mass) · ht petri (to work and press into a mass) · pox gnest (to work and press into a mass) · cmn 揉 (to work and press into a mass) · hu gyúr (to work and press into a mass) · ia impastar (to work and press into a mass) · ka მოზელა (to work and press into a mass) · sk miesiť (to work and press into a mass) · bg замесвам (to work and press into a mass) · cmn 踩奶 ((of cats) to press on a surface to relax — see also make biscuits) · ca amassar (to work and press into a mass) · my နယ် (to work and press into a mass) · xqa یُغُرْماقْ (to work and press into a mass) · ps اخښل (to work and press into a mass) · ug يۇغۇرماق (to work and press into a mass) · ja 捏ねる (to work and press into a mass) · el ζυμώνω (to work and press into a mass) · myv ичемс (to work and press into a mass) · ru замеси́ть (to work and press into a mass) · bg замеся (to work and press into a mass) · cmn 捏 (to work and press into a mass) · he לָשׁ (to work and press into a mass) · ru меси́ть (to work and press into a mass) · ar عَجَنَ (to work and press into a mass) · egy h-b-h-b-hb (to work and press into a mass) · pa گُنّھݨا (to work and press into a mass) · fa سرشتن (to work and press into a mass) · nrf pêtri (to work and press into a mass) · grc φυράω (to work and press into a mass) · gl gramar (to work and press into a mass) · th นวด (to work and press into a mass)
knead en · VERB · etymology 2
Pronunciation
/nɛd/ (UK, US)
nēd (UK, US)
Meanings
(form-of, obsolete, participle, past) simple past and past participle of knead