knee
Americannoun
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knees
plural
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Anatomy. the joint of the leg that allows for movement between the femur and tibia and is protected by the patella; the central area of the leg between the thigh and the lower leg.
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Zoology. the corresponding joint or region in the hind leg of a quadruped; stifle.
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a joint or region likened to this but not anatomically homologous with it, as the tarsal joint of a bird, the carpal joint in the forelimb of the horse or cow, etc.
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the part of a garment covering the knee.
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something resembling a bent knee, especially a rigid or braced angle between two framing members.
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Also called hip, shoulder. Furniture. the inward curve toward the top of a cabriole leg.
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Building Trades.
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the junction of the top and either of the uprights of a bent.
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a curved member for reinforcing the junction of two pieces meeting at an angle.
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Also called kneeler. a stone cut to follow a sharp return angle.
verb (used with object)
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knees,
present (3rd person singular)
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kneed,
past participle, past
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kneeing
present participle
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to strike or touch with the knee.
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to secure (a structure, as a bent) with a knee.
verb (used without object)
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knees,
present (3rd person singular)
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kneed,
past participle, past
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kneeing
present participle
idioms
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take a knee, to kneel on one knee, usually with the opposite leg also bent at a 90-degree angle and placed forward with the foot on the ground, as in sports or as a posture in protests and demonstrations: Organizers are coordinating so the crowds at every state capitol will take a knee in protest of racial injustice simultaneously, across time zones.
Our soccer team would take a knee if a player on either team was injured.
Organizers are coordinating so the crowds at every state capitol will take a knee in protest of racial injustice simultaneously, across time zones.
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bring someone to his / her knees, to force someone into submission or compliance.
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on one's / its knees,
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in a supplicatory position or manner.
I came to him on my knees for the money.
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in a desperate or declining condition.
The country's economy is on its knees.
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cut (someone) off at the knees, to squelch or humiliate (a person) suddenly and thoroughly.
The speaker cut the heckler off at the knees.
noun
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Technical name: genu. the joint of the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
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the area surrounding and above this joint
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(modifier) reaching or covering the knee
knee breeches
knee socks
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a corresponding or similar part in other vertebrates
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the part of a garment that covers the knee
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the upper surface of a seated person's thigh
the child sat on her mother's knee
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anything resembling a knee in action, such as a device pivoted to allow one member angular movement in relation to another
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anything resembling a knee in shape, such as an angular bend in a pipe
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any of the hollow rounded protuberances that project upwards from the roots of the swamp cypress: thought to aid respiration in waterlogged soil
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to kneel or submit
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to force someone into submission
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to cause something to be in a weakened or impoverished state
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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kneesimple
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kneessimple
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have kneedperfect
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has kneedperfect
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am kneeingprogressive
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are kneeingprogressive
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is kneeingprogressive
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have been kneeingperfect progressive
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has been kneeingperfect progressive
Past
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kneedsimple
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had kneedperfect
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was kneeingprogressive
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were kneeingprogressive
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had been kneeingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of knee
First recorded before 900; Middle English kne, cne, knei, cneo, Old English cnēo(w); cognate with German Knie, Dutch knie, Old Norse knē, Gothic kniu, Latin genu, Greek góny, Sanskrit jānu, Hittite genu, all meaning “knee”
Explanation
Your knee is the joint in your leg that joins your thigh with your shin, making it possible for you to bend your leg. Without knees, you'd walk like a Barbie doll on very stiff legs. The knee connects your tibia, or shinbone, to your femur, or thighbone. Although their bodies are arranged in different ways, there are other animals with knees, including horses, donkeys, giraffes, and deer. You can also use the word knee to mean the part of your pants that covers your actual knee: "I always get a hole in the knee of my jeans." A "knee-slapper" is a joke so funny it makes you laugh out loud.
Vocabulary lists containing knee
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They also showed encouraging signs of slower deterioration in their knee cartilage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Turning the toes slightly inward or outward alters the forces acting on the knee, potentially reducing stress on the affected cartilage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The researchers focused on people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis affecting the inner part of the knee.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Some prospective participants were excluded because none of the tested adjustments successfully reduced their knee loading.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
But right now, EG was quiet, and Kiki was smiling in her neon pink, orange, and purple knee socks.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Its findings may not apply to people with advanced arthritis, other patterns of joint damage, or those whose knees respond differently.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
A humanoid’s knees rely on linear actuators, which are made up of similar components but translate rotation into a linear movement: pulling, lifting and so on.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
“I know that sounds strange, but acting is never just in your head, it’s in your feet, it’s in your knees, depending on the person that you are,” she explains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
"Whether I had to climb up on my hands and knees... I was getting to the top of that control tower."
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Then I was up to my knees in long-distance Dakota wheat fields, a sea of wheat bent by the breeze, halfway to harvest.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
The third victory came after center Dereck Lively II left in the second quarter with a neck injury when Towns accidentally kneed the rookie in the back of the head.
From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2024
She said she kneed him after an encounter that lasted several minutes and fled the store.
From Washington Times ● May 8, 2023
The sophomore said she was kneed in the stomach, but she returned to the field about 10 minutes later.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 12, 2022
Starting guard Reggie Jackson did play, scoring 19 points — but looked increasingly labored as the game wore on, after being kneed in the thigh.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2021
I was so anxious to get past them I accidentally kneed Kelli in the thigh.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
James scored just 16 points on five-of-14 shooting, tumbling to the court in a heap in the first half after kneeing Brown in the back during an awkward defensive possession.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2023
Shaw was assessed a major penalty for kneeing and game misconduct.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 23, 2022
Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov has been suspended two games for kneeing Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 19, 2022
Stars rookie defenseman Jani Hakanpaa was given the major for kneeing and a game misconduct.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 22, 2021
Neel kept kneeing and elbowing his way forward, steadying the flashlight as he pushed away branches and roots.
From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
