A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be useful or decorative. Practical knots may be classified as hitches, bends, splices, or knots. A hitch fastens a rope to another object; a bend unites two rope ends; a splice is a multi-strand bend or loop. A knot in the strictest sense serves as a stopper or knob at the end of a rope to keep that end from slipping through a grommet or eye.
Knot tying skills are often transmitted by sailors, scouts, climbers, rescue professionals, fishermen,and linemen. The International Guild of Knot Tyers is an organization dedicated to the promotion of knot tying.