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Knot
KNOTJacques Lacan used a topological structure of the knot to define the relationship of the symbolic, the real, and the imaginary. In particular, he referred to the structure of rings on the coat of arms of the Borromei family. After introducing this notion on February 9, 1972, in his seminar ". . . ou pire " (. . . or worse), he made the knot a central focus of his theory. In mathematical terms, a knot is a simple closed curve (Jordan's curve). Lacan mainly considered two nodal structures (Figure 1):
For Lacan, the knot symbolizes the Imaginary. As an imaginary construct, it gives consistency to the symbolic. Taken symbolically, the knot represents the undecidability of the real or imaginary. The knot is an object located in space. A two-dimensional representation of it is made by means of crossings over or under. The knot's structure is determined by what crosses over or under what. However, the knot's structure is not dependent on its representation. Indeed, it was to translate representation into structure that an algebraic writing system for knots was developed. This writing system was refined over the course of the twentieth century and gradually made it possible to distinguish among different types of knots. In this system, the knot's topological loops become letters (in the form of polynomials). This marks the fact that the knot originates in the lost letter. In Lacan's spoken lectures, the knot functioned first and foremost as a piece of writing. This called into question of the relationship between speech and writing, and showed that "writeability" is essential to the formation of the unconscious (Sigmund Freud's "Letter 52" to Wilhelm Fliess). "The unconscious can only be expressed in knots of language" (Lacan). Henri Cesbron Lavau See also: Imaginary, the (Lacan); Philosophy and psychoanalysis. BibliographyDarmon, Marc. Essais sur la topologie lacanienne. Paris:Éditions de l'A.F.I., 1990. Freud, Sigmund. (1950a [1896]). Letter 52. Stratification of memory traces. SE, 1 : 234-240. Lacan, Jacques. (1971-1972). Le séminaire Livre XIX: . . . Ou pire. Unpublished. ——. (2002). The instance of the letter in the unconscious, or Reason since Freud. InÉcrits: A selection (pp. 138-168). (Bruce Fink, Trans.). New York: W. W. Norton. (Original work published 1966) |
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Lavau, Henri. "Knot." International Dictionary of Psychoanalysis. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Lavau, Henri. "Knot." International Dictionary of Psychoanalysis. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3435300773.html Lavau, Henri. "Knot." International Dictionary of Psychoanalysis. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3435300773.html |
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knot
knot1 / nät/ • n. 1. a fastening made by tying a piece of string, rope, or something similar. ∎ a particular method of tying a knot: you need to master two knots, the clove hitch and the sheet bend. ∎ a tangled mass in something such as hair. ∎ a complex and intractable problem: a complicated knot of racial politics and pride. ∎ a tied or folded ribbon, worn as an ornament. 2. a knob, protuberance, or node in a stem, branch, or root. ∎ a hard mass formed in a tree trunk at the intersection with a branch, resulting in a round cross-grained piece in timber when cut through. ∎ a hard lump of tissue in an animal or human body. ∎ a tense constricted feeling in the body: the knot of tension at the back of her neck. ∎ a small tightly packed group of people: the little knot of people clustered around the doorway. 3. a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used esp. of ships, aircraft, and winds. • v. (knot·ted , knot·ting ) [tr.] 1. fasten with a knot: the scarves were knotted loosely around their throats. ∎ make (a carpet or other decorative item) with knots. ∎ make (something, esp. hair) tangled. 2. cause (a muscle) to become tense and hard. ∎ [intr.] (of the stomach) tighten as a result of nervousness or tension. PHRASES: tie the knot inf. get married.DERIVATIVES: knot·less adj.knot·ter n. knot2 • n. (pl. same or knots ) a small, relatively short-billed sandpiper (genus Calidris) with a reddish-brown or blackish breast in the breeding season. Two species include the red knot (C. canutus), which breeds in the Arctic and winters in the southern hemisphere. |
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"knot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "knot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-knot.html "knot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-knot.html |
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knot
knot.
1. The nautical measure of speed, one knot being one nautical mile (1,852 m/6,076 ft) an hour. The term comes from the knots in the line of a common log which were spaced at a distance of 14 metres (47 ft 3 in.). The number of knots which ran out while a 28-second sand-glass emptied itself gave the speed of the ship in nautical miles an hour. A knot is a speed not a distance so that it is incorrect to say ‘knots an hour’. However, in the past nautical terminology may have been less rigid in the merchant service than the Royal Navy for even Joseph Conrad occasionally wrote ‘knots an hour’. 2. It is also a generally used term to describe a bend or hitch in ropes, but in its strict maritime sense only refers to a tucking knot in which the strands of a rope are tucked over and under each other to form a stopper knot or a splice. In more general terms, a knot is meant to be permanent, a bend or hitch temporary. The term is very rarely used in this strict definition today and is widely employed to embrace every form of knot, bend, or hitch. Ashley, C. , The Ashley Book of Knots (1972). Fry, E. , The Complete Book of Knots and Ropework (1996). |
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"knot." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "knot." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-knot.html "knot." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-knot.html |
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knot
knot in nautical usage, knot denoted any of a number of divisions marked by knots at fixed intervals on a log line and used as a measure of speed (originally from the rate the knots run out while a sand-glass is running). From this comes the sense of a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used especially of ships, aircraft, or winds.
knot garden a formal garden laid out in an intricate design; knot was used from the late 15th century to denote a flower-bed laid out in a fanciful or ornate shape. See also cut the Gordian knot at Gordium, true-love knot. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "knot." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "knot." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-knot.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "knot." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-knot.html |
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Knot
Knota small cluster or group of persons or things. Examples: knot of astrologers; booksellers; clubs [social], 1853; of idioms, 1875; of islands, 1698; of men, 1601; of mountains [where mountain chains meet]; of palm trees, 1825; of people; of politicians, 1874; roots [personal links]; of separatists, 1849; of small stairs, 1607; of talk; of thread or yarn; of toads; of Windsors [chairs]; of witches; of young snakes. |
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"Knot." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Knot." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300888.html "Knot." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300888.html |
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knot
knot1 intertwining of parts of rope, etc. (fig. something intricate) OE.; hard lump XIII; thickened tissue of a plant; cluster or small group XIV. OE. cnotta = Du. knot, MLG. knotte, MHG. knotze knob, knot :- WGmc. *knuttan-; cf. OHG. knodo, knoto (G. knoten), ON. knútr knot, knǫttr ball.
Hence knot vb. XVI. knotted XII. |
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T. F. HOAD. "knot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "knot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-knot.html T. F. HOAD. "knot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-knot.html |
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knot
knot
1. An intersection of arcs in a graph that is not a planar graph. Where the arcs represent linear code sequences in a program, and the nodes represent branch points in the program, then the presence and frequency of knots is a measure of the complexity of the program (see control-flow graph). 2. See spline. |
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JOHN DAINTITH. "knot." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN DAINTITH. "knot." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-knot.html JOHN DAINTITH. "knot." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-knot.html |
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knot
knot nät n.
1. a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used especially of ships, aircraft, and winds. 2. a length marked by knots on a log line, as a measure of speed: some days the vessel logged 12 knots. |
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"knot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "knot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-knot.html "knot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-knot.html |
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knot
knot A unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour (0.515 m/s). It is still used in many countries as a measure of wind speed and current velocity (as well as for the speed of ships and aircraft).
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "knot." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "knot." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-knot.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "knot." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-knot.html |
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knot
knot Unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour (0.515 m/s). It is still used in many countries as a measure of wind speed and current velocity (as well as for the speed of ships and aircraft).
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "knot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "knot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-knot.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "knot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-knot.html |
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knot
knot Unit of measurement equal to one nautical mile per hour – 1 knot equals 1.852km/h (1.15mph). The speeds of ships, aircraft, winds and currents are generally expressed in knots.
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"knot." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "knot." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-knot.html "knot." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-knot.html |
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knot
knot.
1. Boss or finial. 2. Ornament resembling a bunch of leaves or flowers. 3. Architectural treatment resembling tied ropes, as in a knotted shaft. 4. Strapwork. |
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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "knot." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES STEVENS CURL. "knot." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-knot.html JAMES STEVENS CURL. "knot." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-knot.html |
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knot
knot2 red-breasted sandpiper. XVI. of unkn. orig.; later vars. were knat, gnat.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "knot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "knot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-knot1.html T. F. HOAD. "knot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-knot1.html |
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knot
knot •allot, begot, Bernadotte, blot, bot, capot, clot, cocotte, cot, culotte, dot, forgot, garrotte (US garrote), gavotte, got, grot, hot, jot, knot, lot, Mayotte, motte, not, Ott, outshot, plot, pot, rot, sans-culotte, Scot, Scott, shallot, shot, slot, snot, sot, spot, squat, stot, swat, swot, tot, trot, twat, undershot, Wat, Watt, what, wot, yacht
•robot • hotshot • peridot • microdot
•Wyandot • polka dot • fylfot • mascot
•Caldecott • carrycot • apricot
•boycott • dovecote • sandlot • melilot
•polyglot • Camelot • ocelot
•monoglot • sub-plot • Lancelot
•cachalot • counterplot • Wilmot
•guillemot • motmot • bergamot
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"knot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "knot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-knot.html "knot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-knot.html |
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