thief knot

noun

A knot for tying together two ends of rope; similar to a reef knot, but with the tails (short ends) on opposite sides; weaker than a reef knot.

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Meanings

nounthief knot (plural thief knots)

plural thief knots

  1. A knot for tying together two ends of rope; similar to a reef knot, but with the tails (short ends) on opposite sides; weaker than a reef knot.

    Another variant on this simple knot is the fool's knot or thief knot, which is similar to the square knot except that the loose ends emerge diagonally from opposite corners of the knot.

    1993, Funk & Wagnalls Corporation, Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, volume 15, page 282

Origin

Supposedly used as a theft-detection system; thieves would retie bags with a more common reef knot, revealing the theft.

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Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: thief knot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.