knitting

UK: /ˈnɪtɪŋ/ US: /ˈnɪtɪŋ/ ,(nit′ing)

From the verb knit: (⇒ conjugate)

knitting is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

knit•ting /ˈnɪtɪŋ/   n. [uncountable]

1. something being knitted.
2. the act of knitting.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

knit•ting  (nit′ing), n. 

1. the act of a person or thing that knits.
2. Clothing the act of forming a fabric by looping a continuous yarn.
3. Clothing knitted work.
4. Idioms stick or tend to one's knitting:
   • to mind one's own business:
     Don't worry about my work—just tend to your knitting.
   • to devote oneself to one's assignments or responsibilities:
     Years of sticking to his knitting finally paid off.

• 1350–1400; Middle English; see knit, -ing¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

knitting / ˈnɪtɪŋ/ noun

1. knitted work or the process of producing it

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

knit /nɪt/   v., knit•ted or knit, knit•ting, n. 
v. 

1. Textiles, Clothing to make (a garment, fabric, etc.) by joining or interlocking loops of yarn by hand with knitting needles or by machine: [~ + object]
   knitted her own sweater.
   [~ + object + object]
   She knit me a beautiful sweater.
   [no object]
   sat knitting quietly.
2. to cause to contract and be shaped into folds or wrinkles: [~ + object]
   to knit one's brow (= to frown) in concentration.
   [no object]
   Her brows knit as she concentrated.
3. to (cause to) become closely and firmly joined together;
   grow together: [no object]
   The broken bones would knit in about a month.
   [~ + object]
   a tightly knit group of professionals.

n. [countable]

4. Clothing a fabric or garment produced by knitting:
   winter knits.

knit•ter, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

knit  (nit), v., knit•ted or knit, knit•ting, n. 
v.t. 

1. Textiles, Clothing to make (a garment, fabric, etc.) by interlocking loops of one or more yarns either by hand with knitting needles or by machine.
2. to join closely and firmly, as members or parts (often fol. by together):
   The tragedy knitted the family closer together.
3. to contract into folds or wrinkles:
   to knit the brow.
4. to form or create from diverse sources or elements:
   She knitted her play from old folk tales and family anecdotes.

v.i. 

5. to become closely and firmly joined together;
   grow together, as broken bones do.
6. to contract into folds or wrinkles, as the brow.
7. to become closely and intimately united.

n. 

8. Clothing fabric produced by knitting.
9. Clothing a knitted garment.
10. Clothing a style or type of knitting.
11. Clothing the basic stitch in knitting, formed by pulling a loop of the working yarn forward through an existing stitch and then slipping that stitch off the needle. Cf. purl¹ (def. 3).

• bef. 1000; Middle English knitte, Old English cnyttan to tie; cognate with German knütten; see knot¹

knit′ta•ble, adj. 
knit′ter, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. bind, link, unite.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

knit / nɪt/ verb (knits, knitting, knitted, knit)

1. to make (a garment, etc) by looping and entwining (yarn, esp wool) by hand by means of long eyeless needles (knitting needles) or by machine (knitting machine)
2. to join or be joined together closely
3. to draw (the brows) together or (of the brows) to come together, as in frowning or concentrating
4. (of a broken bone) to join together; heal

noun

1. a fabric or garment made by knitting
2. (in combination): a heavy knit

Etymology: Old English cnyttan to tie in; related to Middle Low German knütten to knot together; see knot¹

ˈknitter noun