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knee

n. · v.
US //ˈni// UK //nˈiː// knee
  1. 1 body part (n.)
    A2 Elementary Medicine

    the joint in the middle of your leg that lets you bend it.

    the joint or region of the joint in the middle part of the human leg between the thigh and the lower leg.

    Example

    He fell on the playground and scraped his left knee.

    Example

    The athlete underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in her right knee after a collision during the final match.
    • genu
  2. 2 part of clothing (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the part of a pair of trousers or leggings that covers your knee.

    the specific area of a garment that corresponds to and covers the wearer's knee.

    Example

    The knees of his jeans were worn out from working in the garden.

    Example

    The designer reinforced the knees of the work trousers with durable synthetic fabric to prevent premature tearing during heavy labour.

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  1. 3 a blow (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

    a hit or strike made using your knee.

    a physical strike or blow delivered using the knee joint, often in a combat or self-defence context.

    Example

    The fighter landed a sharp knee to his opponent's ribs.

    Example

    In Muay Thai, a well-timed knee to the midsection can be a decisive strike in close-quarters combat.
  2. 4 to strike (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to hit someone or something with your knee.

    to strike, poke, or nudge someone using the knee joint. Transitive use requiring a direct object.

    Example

    She accidentally kneed the table while trying to sit down.

    Example

    The defender was penalised after he kneed the striker in the thigh during a scramble for the ball.
Origin

From Middle English kne, from Old English cnēow, from Proto-West Germanic kneu, from Proto-Germanic knewą, from Proto-Indo-European ǵnéw-o-m, a thematic derivative of ǵónu. See also West Frisian knibbel, Low German Knee, Knie, Dutch knie, German Knie, Danish knæ, Norwegian kne, Swedish knä; also Hittite 𒄀𒉡 (genu), Latin genū, Tocharian A kanweṃ (dual), Tocharian B kenī, Ancient Greek γόνυ (gónu, “knee”), γωνία (gōnía, “corner, angle”), Welsh glin (“knee”), Old Armenian ծունր (cunr), Avestan 𐬲𐬥𐬎𐬨 (žnum), Sanskrit जानु (jā́nu). The obsolete plural kneen is from Middle English kneen, knen, kneon, kneuwene.

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Idioms1 entry

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