I. ˈnēl, esp before pause or consonant -ēəl intransitive verb
( knelt ˈnelt ; or kneeled ˈnē(ə)ld ; knelt or kneeled ; kneeling ; kneels )
Etymology: Middle English knelen, from Old English cnēowlian; akin to Middle Low German knēlen, Middle Dutch cnielen; denominatives from the roof of English knee (I)
1. : to bend the knee : fall or rest on the knees
knelt to drink from the spring
— sometimes used with down
kneeling down to pray
2. of a rifleman
a. : to assume a position formerly used in extended-order infantry drill in which the individual while half-faced to the right kneels on the right knee, rests the left forearm across the left thigh, and grasps a rifle in the position of order arms with the right hand above the lower band
b. : to support oneself on the knees while or for the purpose of firing a rifle
II. noun
( -s )
: an act or instance of kneeling