knee

English Online Dictionary. What means knee‎? What does knee mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English kne, from Old English cnēow, from Proto-West Germanic *kneu, from Proto-Germanic *knewą, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵnéw-o-m, a thematic derivative of *ǵónu.

See also Low German Knee, Dutch knie, German Knie, Danish knæ, Norwegian kne, Swedish knä; also Hittite 𒄀𒉡 (genu), Latin genū, Tocharian A kanweṃ (dual), Tocharian B kenī, Ancient Greek γόνυ (gónu, “knee”), γωνία (gōnía, “corner, angle”), Welsh glin (“knee”), Old Armenian ծունր (cunr), Avestan 𐬲𐬥𐬎𐬨 (žnum), Sanskrit जानु (jā́nu).

The obsolete plural kneen is from Middle English kneen, knen, kneon, kneuwene.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: nē, IPA^(key): /niː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ni/
• (Early Modern) IPA^(key): /kniː/
• Rhymes: -iː
• Homophone: nee

Noun

knee (plural knees or (obsolete or dialectal) kneen)

2. (anatomy) In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.
3. In the horse and allied animals, the carpal joint, corresponding to the wrist in humans.
4. The part of a garment that covers the knee.
5. (shipbuilding) A piece of timber or metal formed with an angle somewhat in the shape of the human knee when bent.
6. (archaic) An act of kneeling, especially to show respect or courtesy.
7. Any knee-shaped item or sharp angle in a line; an inflection point.

8. A blow made with the knee; a kneeing.
9. (figurative) The presence of a parent etc., where a young child acquires early knowledge.

   Coordinate term: lap

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

knee (third-person singular simple present knees, present participle kneeing, simple past and past participle kneed)

1. (transitive, archaic) To kneel to.
2. (transitive) To poke or strike with the knee.

3. (reflexive) To move on the knees; to use the knees to move.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Enke, Keen, keen, kene, kène, neek

Middle English

Noun

knee

1. Alternative form of kne

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From the noun kne n (“knee”).

Pronunciation

• (verb): IPA^(key): /²kneːə/
• (noun): IPA^(key): /ˈkneːə/

Verb

knee (present tense knear, past tense knea, past participle knea, passive infinitive kneast, present participle kneande, imperative knee/kne)

1. (intransitive) to kneel, to fall on one's knees

   Synonym: knele

2. (intransitive) to walk on one's knees
3. (transitive) to poke or strike with the knee

Alternative forms

• knea (as a-infinitive)

Noun

knee n

1. (Midlandsnormalen) definite singular of kne

References

• “knee” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.