knee

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
a
: a joint in the middle part of the human leg that is the articulation between the femur, tibia, and patella
also : the part of the leg that includes this joint
b(1)
: the joint in the hind leg of a four-footed vertebrate that corresponds to the human knee
(2)
: the carpal joint of the foreleg of a four-footed vertebrate
c
: the tarsal joint of a bird
d
: the joint between the femur and tibia of an insect
2
: something resembling the human knee: such as
a
: a piece of timber naturally or artificially bent for use in supporting structures coming together at an angle (such as the deck beams of a ship)
b
: a rounded or conical process rising from the roots of various swamp-growing trees
cypress knee
3
: the part of a garment covering the knee
4
: a blow with the bent knee
kneed adjective

knee

2 of 2

verb

kneed; kneeing

transitive verb

1
: to strike with the knee
2
archaic : to bend the knee to
Phrases
to one's knees
: into a state of submission or defeat

Examples of knee in a Sentence

Noun I fell down and hurt my knee. She suffered a serious knee injury. His knees trembled with fear. He got down on one knee and proposed to her. His little granddaughter sat on his knee. Her jeans had holes at the knees. Verb His attacker kneed him in the stomach.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Ferrell started all 17 regular-season games before a knee injury kept him out of the playoffs, revealing how much his work ethic and edge-setting presence was missed. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Nick Burri clicks into his ski bindings, squats to stretch his knees, and scans the snowy race course. Thomas Peipert, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2024 Then, 2002: a 19th birthday, a severe knee injury playing basketball, and an opioid prescription that led to a personal revelation. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 The man appeared to drop to his knees, and officers moved in to detain him. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The super-senior was on track to earn first-team All-America honors before incurring a knee bruise that’s kept him from playing in four of the last six games. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 The Heat will also be without Jamal Cain (G League), Dru Smith (season-ending right knee surgery) and Alondes Williams (G League) against the Pistons. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 Firefighters then delivered three teddy bears to Brown’s children, and Youngkin got on one knee to give the family a Virginia flag framed in a wooden box. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Star center Joel Embiid remains sidelined with a meniscus injury, while backup forward Robert Covington is still working his way back from a knee injury that has kept him out for the past two months. Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English cnēow; akin to Old High German kneo knee, Latin genu, Greek gony

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of knee was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near knee

Cite this Entry

“Knee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knee. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

knee

1 of 2 noun
1
: the joint or region in the middle part of the human leg in which the femur, tibia, and kneecap come together
also : a corresponding part of a four-footed mammal
2
: something resembling the knee
especially : a cone-shaped upward growth from the roots of a few swamp-growing trees (as a cypress of the southern U.S.) that extends above the surrounding water
3
: the part of a garment covering the knee
kneed adjective

knee

2 of 2 verb
kneed; kneeing
: to strike with the knee

Medical Definition

knee

noun
1
a
: a joint in the middle part of the human leg that is the articulation between the femur, tibia, and patella

called also knee joint

b
: the part of the leg that includes this joint
2
a
: the joint in the hind leg of a 4-footed vertebrate that corresponds to the human knee
b
: the carpal joint of the foreleg of a 4-footed vertebrate
kneed adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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