knee

Syllabification: (knee)

Pronunciation: /nē/

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Definition of knee

noun

the joint between the thigh and the lower leg in humans.
the corresponding or analogous joint in other animals.
the upper surface of someone’s thigh when sitting; a person’s lap:they were eating their supper on their knees
the part of a garment covering the knee.
an angled piece of wood or metal frame used to connect and support the beams and timbers of a wooden vessel; a triangular plate serving the same purpose in a modern vessel.
an abrupt obtuse or approximately right-angled bend in a graph between parts where the slope varies smoothly.

verb (knees, kneeing, kneed)

[with object]

hit (someone) with one’s knee:she kneed him in the groin

Phrases

at one's mother's (or father's) knee: at an early age.
bend (or bow) the (or one's) knee: submit:a country no longer willing to bend its knee to foreign powers
bring someone/something to their/its knees: reduce someone or something to a state of weakness or submission.
fall (or drop, sink, etc.) to one's knees: assume a kneeling position.
on bended knee(s): kneeling, especially when pleading or showing great respect:did he propose on bended knee?
on one's knees: in a kneeling position.; on the verge of collapse:when they took over, the newspaper was on its knees
weak at the knees: overcome by a strong feeling, typically desire.

Origin:

Old English cnēow, cnēo, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch knie and German Knie, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin genu and Greek gonu

knee in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of knee in the British & World English dictionary

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Other

knee

noun

verb (knees, kneeing, kneed)

Phrases

at one's mother's (or father's) knee

bend (or bow) the (or one's) knee

bring someone/something to their/its knees

fall (or drop, sink, etc.) to one's knees

on bended knee(s)

on one's knees

weak at the knees

Origin:

knee in other Oxford dictionaries

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