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Added 9 October 2026

knack

/næk/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about knack at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A special way of doing something.
he had a bent for it

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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