Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- a special skill, talent, or aptitude: He had a knack for saying the right thing.
- a clever or adroit way of doing something.
- a trick or ruse.
- a sharp, cracking sound.
- Archaic. a knickknack; trinket.
noun
- a skilful, ingenious, or resourceful way of doing something
- a particular talent or aptitude, esp an intuitive one
mid-14c., “deception, trick, device,” of uncertain origin, probably from a Low German word meaning “a sharp sounding blow” (cf. 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.