knead
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knead¹
- /niːd/ UK, US
- /knɛːd/ Early Modern
Sounds like kneed, need · Rhymes with -iːd
Where it comes from
From Middle English kneden, from Old English cnedan, from Proto-West Germanic *knedan, from Proto-Germanic *knudaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gnet- (“to press together”).
verb kneads · kneading · kneaded · knead
- To work and press into a mass, usually with the hands; especially, to work, as by repeated pressure with the knuckles, into a well mixed mass, the materials of bread, cake, etc. Knead the dough by pressing down on it with the heels of both your palms and pushing it forward to stretch it, then pulling it back toward you...
- To treat or form as if by kneading; to beat. I will knead him: I'll make him supple.
-
Of cats, to make an alternating pressing motion with the two front paws.
Cats knead with their paws when happy, just as they kneaded when feeding from their mothers as kittens.
Similar: make biscuits, make muffins
-
To mix thoroughly; form into a homogeneous compound.
Similar: amalgamate
noun kneads
- The act of kneading something. Do not expect the dough to be very manageable even after a good knead.
knead²
- /nɛd/ UK, US
Sounds like ned, Ned · Rhymes with -ɛd
verb
- simple past and past participle of knead
Translations
Every language
verb to work and press into a mass
| Español | amasar, mullir, malaxar, heñir, hiñir |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 이기다 igida |
| 日本語 | 捏ねる koneru, 練る neru |
| 中文 | 捏 niē, 揉 róu, 搓揉 cuōróu |
| Português | amassar, sovar |
| Français | pétrir |
| Deutsch | kneten |
| Italiano | manipolare, impastare, massaggiare, amalgamare, comprimere |
| Ελληνικά | ζυμώνω zymóno |
| Română | frământa |
| Русский | меси́ть mesítʹ, заме́шивать zaméšivatʹ, замеси́ть zamesítʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | nhào |
| العربية | عَجَنَ ʕajana, دَلَكَ dalaka |
| עברית | לָשׁ |
Talk about this word "knead." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/knead. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. knead. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/knead "knead." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/knead.Cite this
@misc{knead_2026,
title = {knead},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/knead},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
