knack
pronunciation
How to pronounce knack in British English:
UK [næk]
How to pronounce knack in American English:
US [næk]
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- Noun:
- a special way of doing something
Word Origin
- knack (n.)
- mid-14c., "deception, trick, device," of uncertain origin, probably from a Low German word meaning "a sharp sounding blow" (compare Middle English knak, late 14c.; German knacken "to crack"), of imitative origin. Sense of "special skill" is first recorded 1580s, if this is in fact the same word. In old slang (mid-18c.-mid-19c.) nacky meant "full of knacks; ingenious, dexterous."
Example
- 1. We have a knack for moving in .
- 2. Some have the knack for teaching ; they have the gift to explain tough concepts without intimidating their students .
- 3. In other countries , vodafone has had a knack of turning a small investment into a controlling stake , but not in the middle kingdom .
- 4. Mr huang took his knack for property deals one crucial step further .
- 5. The investment banks are staffed by clever , entrepreneurial people with a knack for inventing new financial products and selling them to the world .