From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Knead \Knead\ (n[=e]d), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Kneaded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Kneading}.] [OE. kneden, As. cnedan; akin to D. kneden, G. kneten, Sw. kn[*a]da, Icel. kno[eth]a; cf. OSlav. gnesti.]
1. To work and press into a mass, usually with the hands; esp., to work, as by repeated pressure with the knuckles, into a well mixed mass, as the materials of bread, cake, etc.; as, to knead dough.
The kneading, the making of the cake, the heating of the oven, and the baking. --Shak.
2. Fig.: To treat or form as by kneading; to beat.
I will knead him : I'll make him supple. --Shak.
3. To press repeatedly with the hands or knuckles, sometimes with a twisting or squeezing motion; -- performed for example on the body of a person as a form of massage. [PJC]
{Kneading trough}, a trough or tray in which dough is kneaded. --Ex. viii. 3.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
knead \knead\, verb (used without an object) To perform movements like kneading, with the paws; -- said of cats, which may knead[3] a master's body when stroked, presumably a sign of contentment; as, a cat kneading and purring in his master's lap. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
verb
1: make uniform; "knead dough"; "work the clay until it is soft" [syn: {work}]
2: manually manipulate (someone's body), usually for medicinal or relaxation purposes; "She rubbed down her child with a sponge" [syn: {massage}, {rub down}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
110 Moby Thesaurus words for "knead": admix, alloy, amalgamate, bemingle, blend, block out, caress, carve, cast, chisel, coalesce, combine, commingle, commix, compose, compound, concoct, conglomerate, create, cushion, cut, ease, efform, emulsify, fashion, feel up, figure, fix, fluff, fondle, forge, form, formalize, found, frame, frictionize, fuse, gentle, hash, hew, homogenize, immingle, immix, integrate, interblend, interlace, interlard, intermingle, intermix, intertwine, interweave, jumble, knock out, laxate, lay out, lick into shape, limber, limber up, loosen, mash, massage, mellow, merge, milden, mingle, mingle-mangle, mint, mix, mix up, model, mold, mollify, nose, nuzzle, pet, plump, pulp, relax, rough out, roughcast, roughhew, rub, rub against, rub down, rub noses, scramble, sculpt, sculpture, set, shake up, shape, shuffle, smash, soften, soften up, squash, stamp, stir up, stroke, subdue, supple, syncretize, tailor, tenderize, thermoform, throw together, tone down, toss together, tune down, work
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Knead to prepare dough in the process of baking (Gen. 18:6; 1 Sam. 28:24; Hos. 7:4).
Define.com is a registered nonprofit corporation dedicated solely to the global public interest and the advancement of humanity. It belongs to all of us who have a desire to promote electronic democracy, science, creativity, imagination, reason, critical thinking, peace, race and gender equality, civil rights, equal access to education, personal liberty, free speech, animal rights, compassionate and nonviolent parenting, social and economic justice, global monetary reform, Secular Humanism, cognitive liberty and a permanent cessation of The War on Drugs.
Let's see what we can do if we put our heads together.
0