/ niː; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
the joint between the top and bottom parts of the leg where it bends in the middle :
a knee injury
I grazed my knee when I fell.
He went down on one knee and asked her to marry him.
She was on her knees scrubbing the kitchen floor.
—picture at body
2.
the part of a piece of clothing that covers the knee :
These jeans are torn at the knee.
a knee patch
3.
the top surface of the upper part of the legs when you are sitting down
SYN lap :
Come and sit on Daddy's knee.
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IDIOMS
- bring sb to their knees
- bring sth to its knees
- put sb over your knee
—more at bee , bend verb , mother noun , weak
■ verb
( kneed , kneed ) [ vn ] to hit or push sb/sth with your knee :
He kneed his attacker in the groin.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English cnēow , cnēo , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch knie and German Knie , from an Indo-European root shared by Latin genu and Greek gonu .