porter's knot

noun

A double shoulder pad worn with a strap around the forehead, used by hawkers and market porters for supporting burdens on the head.

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Meanings

nounporter's knot (plural porter's knots)

plural porter's knots

  1. obsoleteA double shoulder pad worn with a strap around the forehead, used by hawkers and market porters for supporting burdens on the head.

    Mr. Wilcox, the bookseller, on being informed by him that his intention was to get his livelihood as an authour, eyed his robust frame attentively, and with a significant look, said, ‘You had better buy a porter's knot.’

    1793, James Boswell, Life of Johnson, Oxford, published 2008, page 74
Cite this entry
APA

porter's knot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/porter's%20knot

MLA

“porter's knot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/porter's%20knot. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “porter's knot,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/porter's%20knot.

Source: porter's knot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.