English

Pronunciation

• nē, /niː/, /ni:/

  Rhymes: -iː

Noun

knee, plural knees

1. In man, the joint in the middle part of the leg.
2. (Anatomy) The joint, or region of the joint, between the thigh and leg.
3. (Anatomy) In the horse and allied animals, the carpal joint, corresponding to the wrist in man.
4. (Shipbuilding) A piece of timber or metal formed with an angle somewhat in the shape of the human knee when bent.

   Quotations

   • 1980: Deck beams were supported by hanging knees, triangular pieces of wood typically found underneath the timbers they are designed to support, but in this case found above them. — Richard W. Unger, The Ship in the Medieval Economy 600-1600, page 41.

5. A bending of the knee, as in respect or courtesy.

   Give them title, knee, and approbation. Shak.

Derived terms

• kneecap

Translations

• Arabic: رّكبة
• Basque: belaun
• Breton: glin m
• Catalan: genoll m (ca)
• Chinese: 膝盖
• Czech: koleno
• Dutch: knie f
• Esperanto: genuo
• Finnish: polvi
• French: genou m
• German: Knie n (de)
• Greek: γόνατο n
• Hawaiian: kuli
• Hungarian: térd
• Ido: genuo
• Indonesian: lutut
• Interlingua: geniculo , genu
• Italian: ginocchio m
• Japanese: 膝 (ひざ, hiza)
• Korean: 무릎 (mureup)
• Latin: genu n
• Northern Sami: čibbi
• Norwegian: kne n
• Pitjantjatjara: muṯi
• Persian: زانو (zânu)
• Polish: kolano
• Portuguese: joelho m
• Russian: колено
• Slovio: kolen
• Spanish: rodilla f
• Swedish: knä n
• Tamazight : afud m
• Turkish: diz

Verb

knee, third person singular present knees , past and past participle kneed , present participle kneeing

1. poke or strike with the knee