What is "square knot"

Square \Square\ (skw[^a]r), a.

1. (Geom.) Having four equal sides and four right angles; as, a square figure.

2. Forming a right angle; as, a square corner.

3. Having a shape broad for the height, with rectilineal and angular rather than curving outlines; as, a man of a square frame.

4. Exactly suitable or correspondent; true; just.

   She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.
   --Shak.

5. Rendering equal justice; exact; fair; honest; as, square dealing.

6. Even; leaving no balance; as, to make or leave the accounts square.

7. Leaving nothing; hearty; vigorous.

   By Heaven, square eaters. More meat, I say.
   --Beau. & Fl.

8. (Naut.) At right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; -- said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.

   Note: Square is often used in self-explaining compounds or combinations, as in square-built, square-cornered, square-cut, square-nosed, etc.

   Square foot, an area equal to that of a square the sides of which are twelve inches; 144 square inches.

   Square knot, a knot in which the terminal and standing parts are parallel to each other; a reef knot. See Illust. under Knot.

   Square measure, the measure of a superficies or surface which depends on the length and breadth taken conjointly. The units of square measure are squares whose sides are the linear measures; as, square inches, square feet, square meters, etc.

   Square number. See Square, n., 6.

   Square root of a number or Square root of a quantity (Math.), that number or quantity which, multiplied by itself, produces the given number or quantity.

   Square sail (Naut.), a four-sided sail extended upon a yard suspended by the middle; sometimes, the foresail of a schooner set upon a yard; also, a cutter's or sloop's sail boomed out. See Illust. of Sail.

   Square stern (Naut.), a stern having a transom and joining the counter timbers at an angle, as distinguished from a round stern, which has no transom.

   Three-square, Five-square, etc., having three, five, etc., equal sides; as, a three-square file.

   To get square with, to get even with; to pay off. [Colloq.]

n. A common binding knot in which the terminal and standing parts are parallel to each other.

n. a double knot made of two half hitches and used to join the ends of two cords

In knot theory, the square knot is a composite knot obtained by taking the connected sum of a trefoil knot with its reflection. It is closely related to the granny knot, which is also a connected sum of two trefoils. Because the trefoil knot is the simplest nontrivial knot, the square knot and the granny knot are the simplest of all composite knots.

The square knot is the mathematical version of the common reef knot.

A square knot is another name for a reef knot.

Square knot may also refer to:

• Square knot, a type of square knot formed over two other strands, used in Macramé
• Square knot (mathematics), a composite knot obtained by taking the connected sum of a trefoil knot with its reflection
• Square knot insignia, embroidered cloth patches that represent awards of the Boy Scouts of America and Scout associations throughout the world