knee

play

noun, often attributive \ ˈnē \

Definition of knee

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 insect

2 :something resembling the human knee: such as

a :a piece of timber naturally or artificially bent for use in supporting structures coming together at an angle (such 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 knee

4 :a blow with the bent knee

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kneed

play \ˈnēd\ adjective

— to one's knees

:into a state of submission or defeat

See knee defined for English-language learners

See knee defined for kids

Examples of knee in a Sentence

I fell down and hurt my knee.
She suffered a serious knee injury.
His knees trembled with fear.
He got down on one knee and proposed to her.
His little granddaughter sat on his knee.
Her jeans had holes at the knees.

Recent Examples of knee from the Web

The Englishman has seen his career stall after suffering a serious knee injury in January 2016.

— SI.com, "Leicester City Looking to Sign Wolves Winger With Deadline Day Looming," 31 Aug. 2017
With fifth-round pick Corn Elder still out with a knee injury, the Panthers could stand to improve their depth at corner.

— joseph person, charlotteobserver, "Should Panthers pursue Joe Haden? Maybe, but a different veteran DB makes more sense," 30 Aug. 2017
ON THE BUBBLE: Albert McClellan’s season-ending knee injury opened a spot at inside linebacker and on special teams.

— jeff zrebiec, baltimoresun.com, "Five storylines to watch in Ravens' preseason finale Thursday night against New Orleans Saints," 30 Aug. 2017
A woman wearing hospital scrubs, knee-high rubber boots and a backpack, carrying an umbrella, trekked through the water toward a hospital.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Texas officials say at least eight dead as Hurricane Harvey flooding continues," 28 Aug. 2017
St. Augustine quarterback Dwayne McGill left the game with 1:06 to go with what appeared to be an ankle or knee injury.

— josh preston, NOLA.com, "McDonogh 35 22, McMain 0: Jared Miles one of many weapons in all-around effort for Roneagles," 27 Aug. 2017
The Cowboys had feared that Hitchens tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which would have ended his season.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "Cowboys LB Hitchens to miss eight weeks with tibial plateau fracture," 27 Aug. 2017
Lay on the floor with a dumbbell straight up over your chest and one leg raised, bent at the hip and at the knee.

— jay willis, GQ, "The Key to Running a Faster Marathon Is Getting Strong as Hell," 27 Aug. 2017
Assuming the meter face is removed, wear chest waders even if the water is only, say, knee-deep, and bring a bright flashlight.

— Popular Mechanics, "How to Evacuate Before a Storm or Flood," 25 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'knee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of knee

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

knee

verb

Definition of knee

kneed; kneeing

transitive verb

1 :to strike with the knee

2 archaic :to bend the knee to

See knee defined for English-language learners

Examples of knee in a Sentence

His attacker kneed him in the stomach.

Recent Examples of knee from the Web

Looking like a little grown-up in his collared button-up shirt, black belt and ankle socks (a noticeable departure from his go-to knee socks!), George got a little pep talk from William, who demonstrating his ultimate dad move, the squat and chat!

— erin hill, PEOPLE.com, "Prince George Graduates from Knee Socks — Plus 3 Photos of His (Adorable) Grumpiness at Start of Tour," 17 July 2017
That federal probe yielded no charges, and the officers involved kept their jobs — including one accused of kneeing a teenager in the head while others held him down.

— ryan martin, Indianapolis Star, "After police shooting of Aaron Bailey, Indy promises change. The community remains skeptical.," 16 July 2017
Rizzo did everything wrong, actually veering off the baseline to essentially knee Hedges.

— kevin acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Calling Padres manager Green soft is silly, short-sighted," 21 June 2017

First Known Use of knee

before 12th century

KNEE Defined for English Language Learners

knee

play

noun

Definition of knee for English Language Learners

: the joint that bends at the middle of your leg
: the upper part of your leg when you are sitting
: the part that covers the knee on a pair of pants

knee

verb

Definition of knee for English Language Learners

: to hit (a person) with your knee

KNEE Defined for Kids

knee

play

noun \ ˈnē \

Definition of knee for Students

1 :the joint or region in which the thigh and lower leg come together

2 :the part of a garment covering the knee

3 :¹lap

She sat on my knee.

Medical Dictionary

knee

play

noun \ ˈnē \

medical Definition of knee

1 a :a joint in the middle part of the human leg that is the articulation between the femur, tibia, and patella — called also knee joint

b :the part of the leg that includes this joint

2 a :the joint in the hind leg of a 4-footed vertebrate that corresponds to the human knee

b :the carpal joint of the foreleg of a 4-footed vertebrate

—

kneed

play \ˈnēd\ adjective

Learn More about knee

See words that rhyme with knee Spanish Central: Translation of knee Nglish: Translation of knee for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of knee for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about knee

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knee

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Examples of knee in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of knee

knee

Definition of knee

Examples of knee in a Sentence

Recent Examples of knee from the Web

First Known Use of knee

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KNEE Defined for English Language Learners

knee

Definition of knee for English Language Learners

knee

Definition of knee for English Language Learners

KNEE Defined for Kids

knee

Definition of knee for Students

Medical Dictionary

knee

medical Definition of knee

kneed

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