kneel

American  

[neel] / nil /

verb (used without object)

knelt, kneeled, kneeling

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

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noun

1. the action or position of kneeling.

kneel British  

/ niːl /

verb

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

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noun

1. the act or position of kneeling

Other Word Forms

• kneeler noun
• kneelingly adverb
• unkneeling adjective

Etymology

Origin of kneel

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

Example Sentences

Somehow he had taught Marlene to kneel down and to lift her trunk at his command, and the children loved this.

From Literature

Krukoslik hung his spoon on his’ belt, and went to kneel by the small fire at the entrance to the shelter, where he murmured a brief prayer of thanks.

From Literature

“I’m going to kneel to the floor now. I’m not going to put my hands anywhere but on the ground.”

From Literature

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 Literature

I kneel down and wrap my arms round Bo’s fluffy neck.

From Literature

Related Words

• bow