# knee

Pronunciation: say "NEE" US /ni/, UK /niː/

## Noun

1. The joint or surrounding area in the middle of the human leg, between the thigh and the lower leg.
   - Simple: The joint in the middle of your leg, where it bends.
   - _The surgeon replaced her worn knee with an artificial joint._
   - _He twisted his knee while skiing and needed crutches for weeks._
3. The section of a garment that covers the knee.
   - Simple: The part of pants or other clothing that covers the knee.
   - _The tailor reinforced the knee of the work pants with extra fabric._
   - _Both knees of his old corduroys had faded to a pale gray._
4. A blow delivered with the knee.
   - Simple: A hit given with the knee.
   - _A well-timed knee to the thigh can disable an attacker._
   - _The referee warned him after an illegal knee during the clinch._
5. A sharp angle or bend in a line, or any knee-shaped object; the point where a curve abruptly changes direction.
   - Simple: A sharp bend or corner in a line or shape.
   - _Engineers placed a knee in the ductwork to route it around the beam._
   - _The performance curve shows a distinct knee beyond which speed no longer improves._
6. In horses and related animals, the carpal joint of the foreleg, corresponding to the wrist in humans.
   - Simple: In horses and similar animals, the leg joint that matches the human wrist.
   - _The trainer wrapped the racehorse's knee to support the joint._
   - _Swelling in a horse's knee can signal a serious tendon problem._
7. A parent's or elder's presence, viewed as the setting where a young child gains earliest knowledge.
   - Simple: A parent's side, where a young child first learns about life.
   - _At her mother's knee she absorbed the customs of the village._
   - _Many craftsmen first learned the trade at a father's knee._
8. In birds, the tarsal joint of the leg, which actually corresponds to the human ankle rather than the human knee.
   - Simple: In birds, the leg joint that works like a human ankle.
   - _What looks like a backward-bending knee on a flamingo is really its ankle joint._
   - _The stork tucked one leg up until its knee nearly touched its body._
9. In birds, the joint between the femur and the tibiotarsus, usually concealed beneath the plumage high on the leg.
   - Simple: In birds, the upper leg joint that is usually hidden under feathers.
   - _The ostrich's actual knee lies close to the body, hidden under its feathers._
   - _Anatomy guides place the bird's knee far higher than people expect._
10. A piece of timber or metal formed with an angle that resembles a bent human knee.
   - Simple: A piece of wood or metal made with a sharp bend, shaped like a bent leg.
   - _Carpenters fitted an oak knee to strengthen the joint between frame and beam._
   - _The old schooner's hull was held together by iron knees._

## Verb

2. To poke or strike someone or something with the knee.
   - Simple: To hit someone or something using your knee.
   - _The wrestler kneed his opponent in the ribs during the clinch._
   - _Fighters often knee their rivals when grappling at close range._
11. To move along using the knees rather than the feet.
   - Simple: To move along on your knees.
   - _Penitents knee toward the altar as an act of devotion._
   - _He kneed his way across the muddy trench, keeping his head low._

## Noun

12. The act of going down on one knee, typically as a mark of respect or courtesy. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: An act of kneeling, done to show respect.
   - _She offered a graceful knee to the visiting bishop._
   - _Each courtier made a knee as the queen entered the hall._

## Verb

13. To kneel to someone or something as a gesture of respect or submission. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To kneel down in front of someone to show respect.
   - _The vassals kneed their lord at the coronation._
   - _Pilgrims would knee the shrine before entering._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English kne, from Old English cnēow, from Proto-West Germanic *kneu and Proto-Germanic *knewą, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root *ǵónu. Related words include Dutch knie, German Knie, and Swedish knä, as well as Latin genū and Ancient Greek γόνυ (gónu, "knee").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/knee (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).