■ noun
1》 the joint between the thigh and the lower leg.
↘a person's lap.
2》 an angled piece of wood or metal supporting the beams of a wooden ship.
3》 an abrupt obtuse or right-angled bend in a graph.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ing , ~d ) hit with the ~.
Phrases
at one's mother's (or father's ) ~ at an early age.
bend (or bow ) the (or one's) ~ submit.
bring someone (or something ) to their (or its) ~s reduce someone or something to a state of weakness or submission.
on bended ~ ( s ) ~ling.
Origin
OE cnēow , cnēo , of Gmc origin.