elbowPronunciation: /ˈɛlbəʊ/Translate elbow | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of elbow noun the joint between the forearm and the upper arm: she propped herself up on one elbow the part of the sleeve of a garment covering the elbow: I darned the elbows of my corduroy jacket a thing resembling an elbow, in particular a piece of piping bent through an angle: a cross-fitting with elbows and straight pipework verb [with object and adverbial] 1push or strike (someone) with one’s elbow:one player had elbowed another in the face [no object, with adverbial of direction] move by pushing past people with one’s elbows:he elbowed his way through the crush 2treat (a person or idea) dismissively:the issues which concerned them tended to be elbowed aside by menPhrases at one's elbow close at hand; nearby: he was standing at her elbow, holding out her glass elbow-to-elbow very close together: on the bank were dozens of anglers fishing elbow-to-elbow give someone the elbow British informal reject or dismiss someone: I tried to get her to give him the elbow she decided to give tradition the elbow up to one's elbows in informal with one’s hands plunged in (something): I was up to my elbows in the cheese-potato mixture deeply involved in (a task or activity): we’re going to get up to our elbows in the selection processOrigin: Old English elboga, elnboga, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch elleboog and German Ellenbogen (see also ell1, bow1)elbow in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of elbow in the US English dictionary
