elbow Syllabification: (el·bow)Pronunciation: /ˈelˌbō/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. a thing resembling an elbow, in particular a piece of piping bent through an angle. verb [with object] 1strike (someone) with one’s elbow:one player had elbowed another in the face [no object] move by pushing past people with one’s elbows:people elbowed past each other to the door furiously, he elbowed his way through the crowd 2treat (a person or idea) dismissively:his new TV talk show was elbowed aside in the ratings warPhrases at one's elbow close at hand; nearby. elbow-to-elbow very close together. 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 undertaking). Origin: 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 British & World English dictionary