knack

C2 Topic:Describing People

US /næk/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like knock /æ/ vs /ɑ/ Sounds like neck /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Freq #13444

Meanings

1

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

She has a real knack for fixing broken electronics.
2

noun
A clever or special way of doing something.

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

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a natural or learned skill... skill facility dexterity

2 noun · a clever or special way of... trick

Word family

Forms knacks

Derived forms knackishknacklessknacky

Related forms knack-kneedknackedknick-knack

Etymology

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.

krak Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing People

External links

# knack

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /næk/
**Frequency rank:** 13444

## Meanings
1. A natural or learned skill for doing something well and easily.
2. A clever or special way of doing something.

## Examples
- She has a real knack for fixing broken electronics.
- There's a knack to opening this old door without making noise.

## Derived Forms
- knackish
- knackless
- knacky

## Related Forms
- knack-kneed
- knacked
- knick-knack

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: krak

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Knack 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. Important recorded forms include krak (Middle English). Current senses include a natural or learned skill for doing something well and easily and a clever or special way of doing something. The wider family includes derived forms such as knackish, knackless, and knacky and related words such as knack-kneed, knacked, and knick-knack.

## Topics
- Describing People

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