- knee
- knee1 W2S2 [ni:] n[: Old English; Origin: cneow]1.) the joint that bends in the middle of your leg▪ Lucy had a bandage round her knee.on your knees▪ She was on her knees (=kneeling) weeding the garden.sink/fall/drop to your knees(=move so that you are kneeling)▪ Tim fell to his knees and started to pray.▪ a painful knee injury2.) the part of your clothes that covers your knee▪ His jeans had holes in both knees.3.) on sb's kneeon the top part of your legs when you are sitting down▪ Daddy, can I sit on your knee?4.) knees knocking (together)if your knees are knocking, you are feeling very afraid or very cold5.) on your kneesin a way that shows you have no power but want or need something very much▪ Unemployment was so bad in the 1930s that they went on their knees nearly to get jobs.6.) bring sb/sth to their kneesa) to defeat a country or group of people in a war▪ The bombing was supposed to bring the country to its knees.b) to have such a bad effect on an organization, activity etc that it cannot continue= ↑cripple▪ The recession has brought many companies to their knees.7.) put/take sb over your kneeold-fashioned to punish a child by hitting them8.) on bended knee(s)old-fashioned in a way that shows great respect for someone→knee/elbow pad at ↑pad1 (1), learn/be taught sth at your mother's knee at ↑mother1 (4), the bee's knees at ↑bee, weak at the knees at ↑weakknee 2knee2 v [T + in]to hit someone with your knee▪ I kneed him in the groin.
Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.