gen ‧ u ‧ flect /ˈdʒenjəflekt, ˈdʒenjʊflekt/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive] formal
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: Late Latin ; Origin: genuflectere , from Latin genu 'knee' + flectere 'to bend' ]
1 . to bend one or both knees when in church or a holy place as a sign of respect
2 . to show too much respect towards someone or something – used to show disapproval SYN kowtow
genuflect to
He was a man of principle, refusing to genuflect to the party leadership.
—genuflection /ˌdʒenjəˈflekʃ ə n, ˌdʒenjʊˈflekʃ ə n/ noun [uncountable and countable]