kneecap

1 of 2

noun

knee·​cap ˈnē-ˌkap 

plural kneecaps

: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee and protects the front of the joint : patella

… [Richard] Steadman did arthroscopic surgery on both knees, taking out cartilage, and adjusting synovial plica, the bands of thickened tissue that line the joint behind the kneecaps …

—William Oscar Johnson

Many people who play basketball, volleyball, or soccer are all too familiar with patellar tendinitis, an inflammation of the large tendon connecting the kneecap to the upper tibia.

—Andrew Weil

The stifle joint of a horse corresponds to the human knee. It has a patella, or kneecap, at the front of the joint.

—Robert M. Miller

kneecap

2 of 2

verb

kneecapped; kneecapping; kneecaps

transitive verb

: to shoot or otherwise maim or disable the knee of (someone)

He was shot in both knees, deliberately maimed—"kneecapped," in local parlance.

—Francis X. Clines

… punishing petty crooks and unruly juveniles by kneecapping them, sometimes with bullets, sometimes with a … power drill. The degree of crippling one receives is supposed to be a reflection of the gravity of one's crime.

—Bill Barich

—often used figuratively

… hearing from people who grasp their brows in dire concern over whether the President is now too damaged to carry on—this from people who have been doing their … best to kneecap the man for years.

—Molly Ivins

This 66-yard scoring drive Smith engineered late in the first half … basically kneecapped the home team.

—Austin Murphy

The decision to liquidate $25 million worth of the band's Live Nation stock last year nearly kneecapped the company …

—Steve Kandell

Examples of kneecap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Florida’s choice to eliminate a major source of program revenue kneecaps the AIDS Drug Assistance Program far beyond what’s necessary, according to former employees, health experts and longtime AIDS advocates. —Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026

Filipowski had his right leg wrapped in plastic to fasten an ice bag to his kneecap afterward. —Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026

Verb

The decision in January made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent to kneecap our national vaccine schedule — cutting protection against 17 diseases down to 10 — is a dangerous decision that puts anti-vaccine ideology ahead of the well-being of children and families. —Dr. Rahul K. Parikh, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026

Now legal attacks from outside threaten to kneecap it entirely. —Susanne Rust follow, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1833, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1974, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kneecap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• entrap
• foolscap
• kidnap
• madcap
• mayhap

Kids Definition

kneecap

noun

knee·​cap ˈnē-ˌkap 

: a thick flat movable bone forming the front part of the knee

called also patella

Medical Definition

kneecap

noun

knee·​cap ˈnē-ˌkap 

: patella