Knuckle
/ˈnʌk.əl/noun
Either of the rounded bones at a finger joint, or the joint itself.
Did you know?“Knuckle” is tied to the same old Germanic root that gave English words like “knot,” “knob,” and “knoll,” all built around the idea of a rounded lump or swelling.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gneu-
“to bend, knot, or make a swelling”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*knuk- / *knukaz
“a knob, swelling, or rounded joint”
Old English
OE
cnucel
“a knuckle or knobby joint”
Middle English
ME
knokel / knokyl
“a finger joint or bony knob”
Modern English
English
knuckle
“the joint of a finger, especially where it meets the hand”