definitions

kneel

[ neel ]
/ nil /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR kneel ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), knelt or kneeled, kneel·ing.

to go down or rest on the knees or a knee.

noun

the action or position of kneeling.

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RELATED WORDS

bow, stoop, genuflect, kowtow, curtsey

Nearby words

knee-sprung, knee-trembling, kneeboard, kneecap, kneehole, kneel, kneeler, kneeling bus, kneepad, kneepan, kneepiece

Origin of kneel

before 1000; Middle English knelen, Old English cnēowlian (cognate with Low German knelen, Dutch knielen). See knee, -le

Related forms

kneel·ing·ly, adverbun·kneel·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for kneel

British Dictionary definitions for kneel

kneel

/ (niːl) /

verb kneels, kneeling, knelt or kneeled

(intr) to rest, fall, or support oneself on one's knees

noun

the act or position of kneeling

Derived Forms

kneeler, noun

Word Origin for kneel

Old English cnēowlian; see knee
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012