Main Entry:

¹knee

Pronunciation:

\ˈnē\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English cnēow; akin to Old High German kneo knee, Latin genu, Greek gony

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: a joint in the middle part of the human leg that is the articulation between the femur, tibia, and patella ; also : the part of the leg that includes this joint b (1): the joint in the hind leg of a four-footed vertebrate that corresponds to the human knee (2): the carpal joint of the foreleg of a four-footed vertebrate c: the tarsal joint of a bird d: the joint between the femur and tibia of an insect2: something resembling the human knee: as a: a piece of timber naturally or artificially bent for use in supporting structures coming together at an angle (as the deck beams of a ship) b: a rounded or conical process rising from the roots of various swamp-growing trees <cypress knee> 3: the part of a garment covering the knee4: a blow with the bent knee

— kneed \ˈnēd\ adjective

— to one's knees

: into a state of submission or defeat