verb

knead

NEED/niːd/

To press and work something repeatedly with the hands.

She kneads the dough until it feels smooth and elastic.

A young woman kneads bread dough on a lightly floured worktop, pressing a folded mound forward with the heels of both hands.

Etymology

kneadOld Englishto manipulate by squeezing or pressing

Cnedan already described manipulating something by squeezing or pressing. The modern uses for dough and muscles share this same physical action of working material with the hands.

In context

Epicurious4:12

I like to knead my dough a pretty good amount because I want it to get springy. See, it's like starting to spring back really nicely. - So what happens if I press on it, you see it springs

4 Levels of Ravioli: Amateur to Food Scientist | Epicurious

More examples

I knead the clay to soften it before shaping a bowl.
He gently kneads my shoulders to loosen the tight muscles.
We kneaded the butter into the flour with our fingers.

Forms

knead · kneads · kneaded · kneading

Similar words

massage: Usually involves rubbing or pressing the body to relieve tension.
work: More broadly means manipulating material, not necessarily by hand.