noeud

Noeud, written more commonly as nœud in modern French, is a French noun with several related senses. The primary meaning is knot: a compact interlacing of rope, string, or other slender material that binds or secures. The term can also describe a tangle, a decorative knot, or a point where things join or diverge.

Etymology: from Latin nodus, via Old French nœud, with the modern spelling reflecting the ligature œ.

Other uses include a unit of speed in nautical contexts: un nœud equals one nautical mile per hour. In ropework and climbing, many specific knots are named and used for securing, joining, or stopping, such as the square knot or the figure-eight knot.

In science and learning, nœud translates as node or vertex: in graph theory and computer networks, a nœud is a point where lines meet and data or flow may pass through. In biology and botany, the term can refer to a node in a plant stem (where leaves attach) or to a nodal structure such as a lymph node in anatomy, depending on context.

Additionally, the phrase nœud gordien refers to the Gordian knot, used metaphorically to describe a problem regarded as unsolvable by ordinary means but resolvable by bold, decisive action.