knack


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knack

 (năk)
n.
1. A special talent or skill, especially one difficult to explain or teach: a knack for writing song lyrics.
2. A tendency or pattern of behavior: "Lincoln had a knack for involving himself in fights where the odds were against him" (Joshua Wolf Shenk).
3. Archaic
a. A clever trick.
b. A knickknack.

[Middle English knakke, from Middle Dutch cnacken, to strike, crack, probably of imitative origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

knack

(næk)
n
1. a skilful, ingenious, or resourceful way of doing something
2. a particular talent or aptitude, esp an intuitive one
[C14: probably variant of knak sharp knock, rap, of imitative origin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

knack

(næk)

n.
1. a special skill, talent, or aptitude.
2. a clever or adroit way of doing something.
3. Archaic. a knickknack; trinket.
[1325–75; Middle English: trick; perhaps same word as knak sharp-sounding blow]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.knack - a special way of doing something; "he had a bent for it"; "he had a special knack for getting into trouble"; "he couldn't get the hang of it"
endowment, natural endowment, talent, gift - natural abilities or qualities
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

knack

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

knack

noun
1. The proper method for doing, using, or handling something:
Informal: hang.
2. Natural or acquired facility in a specific activity:
Informal: know-how.
3. An innate capability:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مَهارَه، بَراعَه
håndelag
knacktruc
handlag
įgūdis
ķēriensprasme

knack

[næk] N it's just a knackes un truco que se aprende
to get or learn the knack of (doing) sthagarrar el truco or (Sp) el tranquillo a (hacer) algo
she has the knack of making people feel at hometiene el don de hacer que la gente se sienta cómoda a su alrededor
you have the knack for drawing animalstienes mucha habilidad para dibujar animales
he seems to have the knack of rubbing people up the wrong wayno sé cómo se las arregla pero siempre acaba cayéndole mal a la gente
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

knack

[ˈnæk] n
to have the knack of doing sth → avoir le coup pour faire qch
Some of the village boys had the knack of imitating her voice → Certains des garçons du village avaient le coup pour imiter sa voix.
there's a knack → il y a un truc
There's a knack to doing this → Il y a un truc pour faire ça., Il y a un coup à prendre.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

knack

nTrick m, → Kniff m; (= talent)Talent nt, → Geschick nt; there’s a (special) knack (to it)da ist ein (gewisser) Trick or Kniff dabei; there’s a (special) knack to opening itda ist ein Trick or Kniff dabei, wie man das aufbekommt; to get the knack of doing something(es) herausbekommen, wie man etw macht; you’ll soon get the knack of itSie werden den Dreh bald rausbekommen or raushaben; I never really got the knack of itich habe den Trick nie richtig herausbekommen; I’ve lost the knackich bekomme or kriege (inf)das nicht mehr hin or fertig; she’s got a knack of saying the wrong thingsie hat ein Geschick or Talent, immer das Falsche zu sagen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

knack

[næk] nabilità, capacità
to get the knack of sth → farsi la mano in qc
to have the knack of doing sth → avere l'abilità di fare qc
to learn the knack of doing sth → imparare la tecnica per fare qc
there's a knack to doing this → c'è un trucco per fare questo
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

knack

(nӕk) noun
the ability to do something skilfully and easily. It took me some time to learn the knack of making pancakes.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
Too long did my soul sit hungry at their table: not like them have I got the knack of investigating, as the knack of nut-cracking.
He was a witty, intelligent, well-read man, rivalling Captain Jim himself in the knack of telling a good story.
By his knack of sermonising and pious discoursing, he contrived to make a great impression on Mr.
She has the flexible face, the manageable voice, and the dramatic knack which fit a woman for character-parts and disguises on the stage.
Besides, things have a knack of going wrong at the start, especially in the matter of irritating trifles.
I don't know why he was so eager on the subject, unless it be that I occasionally borrow an umbrella and have a knack of coming out, in the middle of a game of whist, with a mild "Lor!
've got, and we 'll see what can be done," said Polly, looking as if she enjoyed the prospect, for she had a great deal of that feminine faculty which we call "knack," and much practice had increased it.
The musical sense in each of the children was of the quickest, but the elder in especial had a marvelous knack of catching and repeating.
Elinor, however little concerned in it, joined in their discourse; and Marianne, who had the knack of finding her way in every house to the library, however it might be avoided by the family in general, soon procured herself a book.
He was developing a sense of humour, and found that he had a knack of saying bitter things, which caught people on the raw; he said them because they amused him, hardly realising how much they hurt, and was much offended when he found that his victims regarded him with active dislike.
I know I haven't much sense or sobriety, but I've got what is ever so much better -- the knack of making people like me.
We cannot here avoid remarking, that this conjecture would have been better founded had Sophia lived ten years in the air of Grosvenor Square, where young ladies do learn a wonderful knack of rallying and playing with that passion, which is a mighty serious thing in woods and groves an hundred miles distant from London.