I. knee 1 S2 W2 /niː/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: 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 knee injury
2 . the part of your clothes that covers your knee:
His jeans had holes in both knees.
3 . on sb’s knee on 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 cold
5 . on your knees in a way that shows you have no power but want or need something very much:
He went on his knees begging for his job back.
6 . bring somebody/something to their knees
a) 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 SYN cripple :
The recession has brought many companies to their knees.
7 . put/take somebody over your knee old-fashioned to punish a child by hitting them
8 . on bended knee(s) old-fashioned in a way that shows great respect for someone
⇨ learn/be taught something at your mother’s knee at ↑ mother 1 (4), ⇨ the bee’s knees at ↑ bee (5), ⇨ weak at the knees at ↑ weak (13)
II. knee 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive + in]
to hit someone with your knee:
I kneed him in the groin.