Knack

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Knack \Knack\ (n[a^]k), v. i. [Prob. of imitative origin; cf. G.
     knacken to break, Dan. knage to crack, and E. knock.]
     1. To crack; to make a sharp, abrupt noise to chink. [Obs. or
        Prov. Eng.] --Bp. Hall.
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     2. To speak affectedly. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Knack \Knack\, n.
     1. A petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack.
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              A knack, a toy, a trick, a baby's cap. --Shak.
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     2. A readiness in performance; aptness at doing a specific
        task; skill; aptitude; facility; dexterity; -- often used
        with for; as, a knack for playing the guitar.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
              The fellow . . . has not the knack with his shears.
                                                    --B. Jonson.
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              The dean was famous in his time,
              And had a kind of knack at rhyme.     --Swift.
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     3. Something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and
        dexterity; a trick; a device. "The knacks of japers."
        --Chaucer.
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              For how should equal colors do the knack ! --Pope.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  knack
       n : a special way of doing something; "he had a bent for it";
           "he had a special knack for getting into trouble"; "he
           couldn't get the hang of it" [syn: {bent}, {hang}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  47 Moby Thesaurus words for "knack":
     ability, adroitness, aptitude, aptness, art, bauble, bent, bibelot,
     bric-a-brac, capacity, command, dexterity, expertise, expertism,
     expertness, facility, feel, flair, fribble, gaud, genius, gewgaw,
     gift, gimcrack, hang, head, intuition, kickshaw, knickknack,
     know-how, mastership, mastery, nose, proficiency, quickness,
     readiness, set, skill, swing, talent, touch, toy, trick, trinket,
     turn, way, whim-wham