nock

Meanings

Noun

• Either of the two grooves in a bow that hold the bowstring.
• The notch at the rear of an arrow that fits on the bowstring.
• The upper fore corner of a boom sail or trysail.
• Misspelling of knock

Verb

• To cut a nock in (usually in an arrow's base or the tips of a bow).

Origin

• Middle English nokke, attested since the 14th century, probably from a Scandinavian/North Germanic language (compare Swedish nock ("notch"), but compare Dutch nok, from Middle Dutch nocke ("tip, point"). Both could be related to nook.