knack

Etymology

Use as "special skill" from 1580.^[1] Possibly from 14th century Middle English krak (“a sharp blow”), knakke, knakken, from Middle Low German, by onomatopoeia. Latter cognate to German knacken (“to crack”). See also crack.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /næk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æk

Noun

knack (plural knacks)

1. A readiness in performance; aptness at doing something

   Synonyms: skill, facility, dexterity

   • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 254a.

     The sophist runs for cover to the darkness of what is not and attaches himself to it by some knack of his;

   • 2011 October 2, Jonathan Jurejko, “Bolton 1–5 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport‎:

     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.

2. A petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack.
3. Something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device.

Verb

knack (third-person singular simple present knacks, present participle knacking, simple past and past participle knacked)

1. (obsolete, Britain, dialect) To crack; to make a sharp, abrupt noise; to chink.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Bishop Hall to this entry?)

2. To speak affectedly.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

References