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
William Oscar JohnsonMany 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
Andrew WeilThe 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
Robert M. Miller
kneecapped; kneecapping; kneecaps
: 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
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 figurativelyBill Barich… 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
Molly IvinsThis 66-yard scoring drive Smith engineered late in the first half … basically kneecapped the home team.—Austin Murphy
Austin MurphyThe decision to liquidate $25 million worth of the band's Live Nation stock last year nearly kneecapped the company …—Steve Kandell
Steve KandellExamples of kneecap in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Natasha Dye, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Jose Menendez was shot five times in the kneecaps and head.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
Failing to renew the law and deliver on key Trump campaign promises could kneecap Republican efforts to stave off Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 24 Jan. 2025
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Noun
Dunne was forced to sit out from the competition after suffering an avulsion fracture in her kneecap on March 6.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Jose Menendez was shot five times in the kneecaps and head.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
President Donald Trump’s administration is proposing a change to the Endangered Species Act that environmental groups say will kneecap habitat protection and lead to extinction of vulnerable species.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
Failing to renew the law and deliver on key Trump campaign promises could kneecap Republican efforts to stave off Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kneecap
Cite this Entry
“Kneecap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kneecap. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kneecap
noun
knee·cap
ˈnē-ˌkap 
: a thick flat movable bone forming the front part of the knee
called also patella
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