knuckle duster
noun
Simple meaning
A small metal weapon.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
nuhkuhlduhsterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈnʌkəlˈdʌstɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
BritishAustraliaused in the plural
A small metal weapon; worn over the knuckles on the back of the hand
BritishAustralia
A weapon made of metal worn around the knuckles that strengthens the impact of a punch.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: (used in the plural) a small metal weapon; worn over the knuckles on the back of the hand
Used this way, knuckle duster is a word tied to one variety of English that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. Most speakers understand it but seldom reach for it.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Regional
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Uncommon in everyday speech
Usage note
Mainly used in British English, so it may read as unusual elsewhere.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.