Knot

For other uses, see Knot (disambiguation).

A knot from a blue and red string

A knot is a fixed looping of a piece of string or rope. Knots are often used for binding things together. While a knot is often made from rope, it can also be made from many other things. In fact, a knot is actually the condition a long flexible object is in. For example, hair can be tied in a knot. The ends of balloons are tied in a knot to prevent the air from escaping. The average person over 5 or so years of age is likely capable of tying a knot; most of these knots people tie are probably with their shoelaces. Ribbons are also tied in a knot so as to appear pretty, as when wrapped around a gift. In addition, knots are also made by sailors in many different forms and for many different purposes. There are even people who have adopted knot-making as a hobby.

Knot Media

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  Knot board on Elbe 1 (ship, 1965)

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  An example of a quipu from the Inca Empire, currently in the Larco Museum Collection.

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  Alexander the Great cuts the Gordian Knot (1767)

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  Alexander cuts the Gordian Knot, by Jean-Simon Berthélemy (1743–1812)

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  Gordian Knot statue (1990)

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  Magimagi sennit of Fiji around wooden ceiling posts.

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  Blackfoot "Teton" tipi tie

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  Sailors learning knots and ropework in the early 20th century

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  Sailor bag with different knots

Related pages

• List of knots

More reading

• Iggulden, Hal; Iggulden, Conn (2007). "The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know". The Dangerous Book for Boys. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 9–11. ISBN 978-0061243585.