knee

noun, often attributive

\ ˈnē

Definition of knee

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

to one's knees

: into a state of submission or defeat

knee

verb

kneed; kneeing

Definition of knee (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to strike with the knee

2 archaic : to bend the knee to

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Examples of knee in a Sentence

Noun

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.

Verb

His attacker kneed him in the stomach.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Corey Kluber received an injection in his right knee that will force the Indians ace to miss the All-Star Game. — BostonGlobe.com, "Knee surgery scheduled for Lonzo Ball," 14 July 2018 Kluber, 32, received an injection in his right knee Friday. — Stephen Ruiz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Zack Greinke added to NL all-star roster while Corey Kluber won't pitch for AL," 13 July 2018 Former University of Kansas point guard Devonté Graham has suffered a condylar lesion in his right knee and will miss the rest of the Las Vegas NBA Summer League, the Charlotte Hornets announced on Wednesday on the team’s official website. — Gary Bedore, kansascity, "Devonté Graham suffers injury to right knee, according to report from NBA’s Hornets," 11 July 2018 No compatible source was found for this media. Advertisement X Edelman, who missed the 2017 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee last preseason, apologized on his Instagram story when the news first surfaced. — Jordan Mcpherson, miamiherald, "With this player out, the Dolphins less to worry about when they face Patriots Week 4," 5 July 2018 The release said the officer, Paul Czupryn, sustained a knee injury and was subsequently transported to Porter Regional Hospital. — Michelle L. Quinn, Post-Tribune, "Police arrest Gary man after foot chase," 1 July 2018 Which is great for getting an ass, and even better for preventing knee injuries. — Clay Skipper, GQ, "The 5 Best Exercises at the Gym, According to Personal Trainers," 29 June 2018 The Brewers’ best shortstop prospect, Mauricio Dubon, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee the first week of May trying to escape a rundown at Colorado Springs and was lost for the remainder of the season. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Haudricourt: Brewers have few options as they wait for Orlando Arcia to get going at plate," 15 June 2018 The loss of playmaker Youssef Msakni to a knee injury in April further dampens Tunisian hopes of reaching the knockout rounds, but with an opening game against England, an upset can’t be totally discounted. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "World Cup 2018: A Guide to Every Team," 12 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The department was already reeling after surveillance footage emerged of officers punching and kneeing an unarmed man in a May 23 arrest. — Ray Sanchez And Keith Allen, CNN, "Mesa, Arizona, police video shows officers punch, mock suspect," 14 June 2018 Officer Bojan Samardzic reportedly pulled out his pistol, which was followed by another officer grabbing Brown’s left arm and still another kneeing Brown in the groin. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Inside Sterling Brown’s compelling lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department and City of Milwaukee," 19 June 2018 Johnson's case received national attention after video showed officers kneeing and punching him multiple times before bringing him to the ground. — Uriel J. Garcia, azcentral, "Charges dropped against Robert Johnson, man brutally beaten by Mesa police," 14 June 2018 Mesa officers punch, knee man The Mesa Police Department released a video on June 5 showing an officer repeatedly punching and kneeing a man before he is pulled to the ground while other officers surround him. — Arizona Republic, azcentral, "These 6 body-cam videos have put Mesa police in national spotlight," 15 June 2018 Surveillance video also shows an officer kneeing him in the stomach. — CBS News, "Newly released bodycam videos show moments before Mesa officers beat unarmed man," 7 June 2018 Iguodala has a left lateral leg contusion and missed Game 4 due to knee soreness. — Charlotte Carroll, SI.com, "Andre Iguodala Making Progress to Rejoin Warriors in Game 5," 24 May 2018 From colic to an evacuation to knee surgery, Greyvitos’ road to Kentucky Derby hopeful has been as bumpy as anyone’s. — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, "Greyvitos looks to shake off bad luck in this weekend's Stonestreet Lexington Stakes," 13 Apr. 2018 Daniel Theis was lost for the season to knee surgery two weeks ago. — Paul Coro, latimes.com, "The injury-riddled Celtics aren't limping into the playoffs thanks to rising young stars," 31 Mar. 2018

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.