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:
He missed much of the 2024-25 campaign after sustaining a serious knee injury, and parts of last season were disrupted by a hamstring issue.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
It forces your ankle, knee and hip joints to quickly adjust their movements, keeping them engaged and flexible.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
After Ohtani received a lubricating Orthovisc injection in his knee at the beginning of the All-Star break, the Dodgers hoped he would pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 22.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
In July, Lilly said it was preparing application materials for retatrutide to treat obesity, knee osteoarthritis pain and sleep apnea, following data from two Phase 3 trials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Mr. MacPherson had asked Zeke to sit on the edge of his—Mr. MacPherson’s —desk, knee up so it was at his classmates’ eye level.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Cycling may also be beneficial for your joints, particularly your knees.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
That wrist is how Alcaraz sculpts that spectacular drop shot that makes opponents quiver at the knees and would make Harry Hopman cry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Simon said her problems began with arthritis in both knees and one of her hips.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Simon explained in her statement that she experienced arthritis in both of her knees and one hip prior to receiving her diagnosis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
So much time will be spent on my knees that I have sewn half-inch foam pads into my pants at the knees to keep my legs from freezing when I kneel in the snow.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Redick said Doncic was injured when he was kneed by Clippers guard Bagdan Bogdanovic during Saturday night’s loss at Intuit Dome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
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
Beniers managed to draw a penalty when Mangiapane kneed him with 3:38 to play.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2022
I was so anxious to get past them I accidentally kneed Kelli in the thigh.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
Brown was cutting back to the ball when he took a bad step and pulled up, leading to James kneeing him in the back.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2023
They’ll likely recall winger Arthur Kaliyev from the AHL so he can begin serving the last two games of his four-game suspension for a training camp kneeing infraction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2023
Wild forward Mason Shaw was assessed a major penalty and ejected for kneeing Sharks forward Evgeny Svechnikov in the second period.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2022
The quick start was tempered 86 seconds later when a kneeing penalty by Colorado’s Kurtis MacDermid sent Marcus Foligno to the locker room.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2022
I all but pounced onto Chubs’s back, both scaring him senseless and kneeing him in the kidney in the process.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
