knit
UK[nɪt]US[nɪt]
v
To make clothes, etc. by using two long needles to connect wool or another type of thread into joined rows
v
To join people or things closely together, or to be joined closely together
v
When a broken bone knits, the two parts grow together again
Etymology
The verb 'knit' originates from the Old English 'cnyttan', meaning "to tie in a knot, to bind." This term is part of a family of Germanic words related to knot-making, such as Old Norse 'knýta' and Middle Low German 'knütten'. The core semantic concept has always been the joining or fastening of separate elements into a unified whole. Over time, this literal sense of binding with knots evolved into the specialized craft of creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn, and further extended into metaphorical uses describing the close joining of people, ideas, or even healing bones.
Analysis
The word 'knit' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. Its Old English form 'cnyttan' is considered a single, indivisible root meaning "to tie with a knot, bind together."
Examples
She taught me how to knit a scarf.
The tragedy helped knit the community together.
It took several months for the fractured bone to knit properly.