knack

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A natural or learned skill for doing something well and easily.

   She has a real knack for fixing broken electronics.

2. 2
   noun

   A clever or special way of doing something.

   There's a knack to opening this old door without making noise.

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.

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