Bump on a log (4)

I believe the answer is:

knot

(Other definitions for knot that I've seen before include "Small cluster - huddled group - sheepshank, for example" , "Tie; a cluster" , "Rope fastening" , "Could be a granny or a sheepshank" , "Hard mass in tree trunk at branch joint" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

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