knurl

Meanings

Noun

• A contorted knot in wood.
• A crossgrained protuberance; a nodule; a boss or projection.
• A lined or crossgrained pattern of ridges or indentations rolled or pressed into a part for grip.

Verb

• To roll or press a pattern of ridges or indentations into a part for grip.

Origin

• knur + -le, from Middle English knarre ("knot in wood"), earlier sense “a stone”, likely influenced by Old Norse knǫrr.
• gnarl is a later variant, from gnarled, via knurled.