knack

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

knack, v. i. [Prob. of imitative origin; cf. G. knacken to break, Dan. knage to crack, and E. knock.].

•  To crack; to make a sharp, abrupt noise to chink.  Bp. Hall.  [1913 Webster]
•  To speak affectedly.  Halliwell.  [1913 Webster]

knack, n. 

•  A petty contrivance; a toy; a plaything; a knickknack.  [1913 Webster]

  "A knack, a toy, a trick, a baby's cap."  [1913 Webster]
•  A readiness in performance; aptness at doing a specific task; skill; aptitude; facility; dexterity; -- often used with for; as, a knack for playing the guitar.  [1913 Webster]

  "The fellow . . . has not the knack with his shears."  [1913 Webster]

  "The dean was famous in his time,
  And had a kind of knack at rhyme."  [1913 Webster]
•  Something performed, or to be done, requiring aptness and dexterity; a trick; a device.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "For how should equal colors do the knack !"  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

knack, n.
1 an acquired or intuitive faculty of doing a thing adroitly.
2 a trick or habit of action or speech etc. (has a knack of offending people).
3 archaic an ingenious device (see KNICK-KNACK).

Etymology

ME, prob. identical with knack sharp blow or sound f. LG, ult. imit.

THESAURUS

knack

ability, adroitness, aptitude, aptness, art, bauble, bent, bibelot, bric-a-brac, capacity, command, dexterity, expertise, expertism, expertness, facility, feel, flair, fribble, gaud, genius, gewgaw, gift, gimcrack, hang, head, intuition, kickshaw, knickknack, know-how, mastership, mastery, nose, proficiency, quickness, readiness, set, skill, swing, talent, touch, toy, trick, trinket, turn, way, whim-wham

ROGET THESAURUS

knack

Habit

N habit, habitude, assuetude, assuefaction, wont, run, way, common state of things, general state of things, natural state of things, ordinary state of things, ordinary course of things, ordinary run of things, matter of course, beaten path, beaten track, beaten ground, prescription, custom, use, usage, immemorial usage, practice, prevalence, observance, conventionalism, conventionality, mode, fashion, vogue, etiquette, order of the day, cry, conformity, consuetude, dustoor, one's old way, old school, veteris vestigia flammae, laudator temporis acti, rule, standing order, precedent, routine, red-tape, red-tapism, pipe clay, rut, groove, cacoethes, bad habit, confirmed habit, inveterate habit, intrinsic habit, addiction, trick, training, seasoning, second nature, acclimatization, knack, habitual, accustomary, prescriptive, accustomed, of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence, consuetudinary, wonted, usual, general, ordinary, common, frequent, everyday, household, garden variety, jog, trot, well-trodden, well-known, familiar, vernacular, trite, commonplace, conventional, regular, set, stock, established, stereotyped, prevailing, prevalent, current, received, acknowledged, recognized, accredited, of course, admitted, understood, conformable, according to use, according to custom, according to routine, in vogue, in fashion, in, with it, fashionable, wont, used to, given to, addicted to, attuned to, habituated, in the habit of, habitue, at home in, seasoned, imbued with, devoted to, wedded to, hackneyed, fixed, rooted, deep-rooted, ingrafted, permanent, inveterate, besetting, naturalized, ingrained, habitually, always, as usual, as is one's wont, as things go, as the world goes, as the sparks fly upwards, more suo, more solito, ex more, as a rule, for the most part, usually, generally, typically, most often, most frequently, cela s'entend, abeunt studia in mores, adeo in teneris consuescere multum est, consuetudo quasi altera natura, hoc erat in more majorum, How use doth breed a habit in a man!, magna est vis consuetudinis, morent fecerat usus.

Skill

N skill, skillfulness, address, dexterity, dexterousness, adroitness, expertness, proficiency, competence, technical competence, craft, callidity, facility, knack, trick, sleight, mastery, mastership, excellence, panurgy, ambidexterity, ambidextrousness, sleight of hand, seamanship, airmanship, marksmanship, horsemanship, rope-dancing, accomplishment, acquirement, attainment, art, science, technicality, technology, practical knowledge, technical knowledge, knowledge of the world, world wisdom, savoir faire, tact, mother wit, discretion, finesse, craftiness, management, self-help, cleverness, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, talents, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius, intelligence, sharpness, readiness, invention, aptness, aptitude, turn for, capacity for, genius for, felicity, capability, curiosa felicitas, qualification, habilitation, proficient, masterpiece, coup de maitre, chef d'euvre, tour de force, good stroke, skillful, dexterous, adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, gain, slick, smart, proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at, au fait, thoroughbred, masterly, crack, accomplished, conversant, experienced, practiced, skilled, hackneyed, up in, well up in, in practice, in proper cue, competent, efficient, qualified, capable, fitted, fit for, up to the mark, trained, initiated, prepared, primed, finished, clever, cute, able, ingenious, felicitous, gifted, talented, endowed, inventive, shrewd, sharp, on the ball, cunning, alive to, up to snuff, not to be caught with chaff, discreet, neat-handed, fine-fingered, nimble-fingered, ambidextrous, sure- footed, cut out for, fitted for, technical, artistic, scientific, daedalian, shipshape, workman- like, business-like, statesman-like, skillfully, well, artistically, with skill, with consummate skill, secundum artem, suo Marte, to the best of one's abilities, ars celare artem, artes honorabit, celui qui veut celui-la peut, c'est une grande habilite que de savoir cacher son, expertus metuit, es bildet ein Talent sich in der Stille sich ein C, heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute, if you have lemons, make lemonade.