Meanings
nock1
plural nocks
- Either of the two grooves in a bow that hold the bowstring.
Each drew his string from its waterproof case and bent the huge arc of his war-bow as he fitted it into the nocks.
1905–1906, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Nigel, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], published January 1906, →OCLC1 more example
Meanwhile there had been bustle and preparation in all parts of the great vessel. The archers stood in groups about the decks, new-stringing their bows, and testing that they were firm at the nocks.
1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, The White Company, New York, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.: Thomas Y[oung] Crowell & Company […], →OCLC - archeryThe notch at the rear of an arrow that fits on the bowstring.
He took his arrow by the nock.
[1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume (please specify the book number), London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC
present singular third person nocks · participle present nocking · participle past nocked · past nocked
- transitiveTo fit (an arrow) against the bowstring of a bow or crossbow.
Then taking up his own good stout bow and nocking an arrow with care, he shot with his very greatest skill.
1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLCSynonyms: notch
- transitiveTo cut a nock in (usually in an arrow's base or the tips of a bow).
It is a Scotch bow, I see, for the upper nock is without and the lower within. By the black rood! it is a good piece of yew, well nocked, well strung, well waxed, and very joyful to the feel.
1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, The White Company, New York, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.: Thomas Y[oung] Crowell & Company […], →OCLC
- archeryFit the arrow to your bowstring.
nock2
- misspellingMisspelling of knock.
- misspellingMisspelling of knock.
I put my hair up, and was just finished, when mother nocked. It was terrable^([sic]).
1917, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Bab: A Sub-Deb
Nock3
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo fit (an arrow) against the bowstring of a bow or crossbow.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
nock · noun, verb, interjection
- Middle Dutchnocke“tip, point”
- Dutchnok
- Middle Englishnokke
- Englishnock
From Middle English nokke, attested since the 14th century, probably from a Scandinavian/North Germanic language (compare Swedish nock (“notch”), but compare Dutch nok, from Middle Dutch nocke (“tip, point”). Both could be related to nook (“corner, recess”).
More words from Middle English, Dutch, Middle Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Nock · proper noun
From the Middle English phrase atten okes (“at the oaks”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech zářez
- zářezthe notch at the rear of an arrow
Finnish hahlo, jänneura
- hahlothe notch at the rear of an arrow
- jänneurathe notch at the rear of an arrow
- nokkithe notch at the rear of an arrow
French encoche, encocher
- encochethe notch at the rear of an arrow
- encocherto fit an arrow
German Nocke
- Nockethe notch at the rear of an arrow
Irish eang
- eangthe notch at the rear of an arrow
Italian cocca
- coccathe notch at the rear of an arrow
Persian سوفار
- سوفار (sufâr)the notch at the rear of an arrow
Spanish culatín
- culatínthe notch at the rear of an arrow
Turkish gez
- gezthe notch at the rear of an arrow
Welsh hicyn
- hicynthe notch at the rear of an arrow
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with nock
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
nock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nock
“nock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nock. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nock,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nock.
Source: nock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.