51Թ

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View synonyms for

knee

[nee]

noun

  1. Anatomy.the joint of the leg that allows for movement between the femur and tibia and is protected by the patella; the central area of the leg between the thigh and the lower leg.

  2. Zoology.the corresponding joint or region in the hind leg of a quadruped; stifle.

  3. a joint or region likened to this but not anatomically homologous with it, as the tarsal joint of a bird, the carpal joint in the forelimb of the horse or cow, etc.

  4. the part of a garment covering the knee.

  5. something resembling a bent knee, especially a rigid or braced angle between two framing members.

  6. Also called hip, shoulder.Furniture.the inward curve toward the top of a cabriole leg.

  7. Building Trades.

    1. the junction of the top and either of the uprights of a bent.

    2. a curved member for reinforcing the junction of two pieces meeting at an angle.

  8. Also called kneeler.a stone cut to follow a sharp return angle.



verb (used with object)

kneed, kneeing 
  1. to strike or touch with the knee.

  2. to secure (a structure, as a bent) with a knee.

verb (used without object)

kneed, kneeing 
  1. Obsolete.to go down on the knees; kneel.

knee

/ Ծː /

noun

  1. Technical name: genu.the joint of the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

    1. the area surrounding and above this joint

    2. (modifier) reaching or covering the knee

      knee breeches

      knee socks

  2. a corresponding or similar part in other vertebrates

  3. the part of a garment that covers the knee

  4. the upper surface of a seated person's thigh

    the child sat on her mother's knee

  5. anything resembling a knee in action, such as a device pivoted to allow one member angular movement in relation to another

  6. anything resembling a knee in shape, such as an angular bend in a pipe

  7. any of the hollow rounded protuberances that project upwards from the roots of the swamp cypress: thought to aid respiration in waterlogged soil

  8. to kneel or submit

  9. to force someone into submission

  10. to cause something to be in a weakened or impoverished state

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to strike, nudge, or push with the knee

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of knee1

First recorded before 900; Middle English kne, cne, knei, cneo, Old English ŧ(); cognate with German Knie, Dutch knie, Old Norse ŧ, Gothic kniu, Latin genu, Greek óԲ, Sanskrit Գ, Hittite genu, all meaning “knee”
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of knee1

Old English ŧǷ; compare Old High German kneo, Old Norse ŧ, Latin genu
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. take a knee, to kneel on one knee, usually with the opposite leg also bent at a 90-degree angle and placed forward with the foot on the ground, as in sports or as a posture in protests and demonstrations: Organizers are coordinating so the crowds at every state capitol will take a knee in protest of racial injustice simultaneously, across time zones.

    Our soccer team would take a knee if a player on either team was injured.

    Organizers are coordinating so the crowds at every state capitol will take a knee in protest of racial injustice simultaneously, across time zones.

  2. bring someone to his / her knees, to force someone into submission or compliance.

  3. on one's / its knees,

    1. in a supplicatory position or manner.

      I came to him on my knees for the money.

    2. in a desperate or declining condition.

      The country's economy is on its knees.

  4. cut (someone) off at the knees, to squelch or humiliate (a person) suddenly and thoroughly.

    The speaker cut the heckler off at the knees.

In addition to the idiom beginning with knee, also see bring to one's knees; on bended knee.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s why he wanted to keep playing this season, even after a 2023 shoulder surgery and 2024 toe and knee procedures.

From

On a bright morning, just a stone's throw from where he grew up and went to school, people lined the street on their knees to watch his coffin pass by.

From

"How is she gonna be on her knees for a man when the lead single is about how useless certain men are," one person posted.

From

Humphries, 31, played eight seasons for the Cardinals before sustaining a major knee injury near the end of the 2023 season.

From

Videos from the press conference show agents forcing Padilla to his knees and handcuffing him.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Knebworth Houseknee action