knack

Definition

A readiness in performance; aptness at doing something.

Etymology

Use as "special skill" from 1580. Possibly from 14th century Middle English krak (“a sharp blow”), knakke, knakken, from Middle Low German, by onomatopoeia. Latter cognate to German knacken (“to crack”). See also crack.

Example Sentences

• "These men had some uncanny knack of knowing when the steel was right, and like many such things, it just could not be put into a textbook on the subject."
• "The sophist runs for cover to the darkness of what is not and attaches himself to it by some knack of his;"
• "And the Premier League's all-time top-goalscoring midfielder proved he has not lost the knack of being in the right place at the right time with a trio of clinical finishes."