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Knout

//naʊt// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun

1
A leather scourge (multi-tail whip), in the severe version known as 'great knout' with metal weights on each tongue, notoriously used in imperial Russia.
"In Moscow, a Court carbonadoes / His ignorant serfs with the knout; / […] / But Eton has crueller terrors / Than these,—in the Windsor Express."
2
a whip with a lash of leather thongs twisted with wire; used for flogging prisoners wordnet

Verb

1
To flog or beat with a knout.
"Different, isn’t it? It’s called kava, by the way. The Fijians make it by knouting some root or other."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Via French knout from Russian кнут (knut), from Old East Slavic кнутъ (knutŭ), from Old Norse knútr (“knot in a cord”). Doublet of knot, node, and nodus.

Etymology 2

Via French knout from Russian кнут (knut), from Old East Slavic кнутъ (knutŭ), from Old Norse knútr (“knot in a cord”). Doublet of knot, node, and nodus.

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