knee

Meanings

Noun

• In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.
• In the horse and allied animals, the carpal joint, corresponding to the wrist in humans.
• The part of a garment that covers the knee.
• A piece of timber or metal formed with an angle somewhat in the shape of the human knee when bent.
• An act of kneeling on one knee, typically to acknowledge an injury, sacrifice or otherwise to show respect.
• An act of kneeling, especially to show respect or courtesy.
• Any knee-shaped item or sharp angle in a line; an inflection point.
• A blow made with the knee; a kneeing.

Verb

• To kneel to.
• To poke or strike with the knee.
• To move on the knees; to use the knees to move.

Origin

• From Middle English kne, from Old English cnēow, from Proto-West Germanic *kneu, from Proto-Germanic *knewą (compare Low German Knee, Dutch knie, German Knie, Danish knæ, Norwegian kne, Swedish knä), from Proto-Indo-European, a thematic derivative of *ǵónu. Cognate with Hittite 𒄀𒉡, Latin genū, Tocharian A kanweṃ, Tocharian B keni, Ancient Greek γόνυ, γωνία, Old Armenian ծունր, Avestan 𐬲𐬥𐬎𐬨, Sanskrit जानु.
• The obsolete plural kneen is from Middle English kneen, knen, kneon, kneuwene.