What does "knee" mean?
In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.
Knee
/ni/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.
- Grammar: knee is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: genu, knee joint, angle, ankle.
- Useful contrasts: cubitus, hocks.
- Usage evidence: I'm afraid I have water in my knee joint.
How to use "knee"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "knee" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "knee" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "knee" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "knee" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "knee" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "genu" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "knee", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.
"Penny was wearing a miniskirt, so she skinned her exposed knees when she fell."
- 2 joint between the femur and tibia in a quadruped; corresponds to the human knee wordnet
- 3 In the horse and allied animals, the carpal joint, corresponding to the wrist in humans.
- 4 the part of a trouser leg that provides the cloth covering for the knee wordnet
- 5 In birds:; The tarsal joint, uniting the tarsometatarsus and the tibiotarsus (homologous to the human ankle).
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella wordnet
- 7 In birds:; The joint uniting the tibiotarsus and the femur, typically hidden beneath plumage.
- 8 The part of a garment that covers the knee.
- 9 A piece of timber or metal formed with an angle somewhat in the shape of the human knee when bent.
"Deck beams were supported by hanging knees, triangular pieces of wood typically found underneath the timbers they are designed to support, but in this case found above them."
- 10 An act of kneeling, especially to show respect or courtesy. archaic
"Give them title, knee, and approbation."
- 11 Any knee-shaped item or sharp angle in a line; an inflection point.
"the knee of a graph"
- 12 A blow made with the knee; a kneeing.
"Tante was groggy but not quite out so Winnie gave him a knee to the jaw that Rose had shown her, and that was enough. He slumped like a rag-doll to the floor."
- 13 The presence of a parent etc., where a young child acquires early knowledge. figuratively
"The duty is, or should be, a thing taught at one's father's knee, and the structure of the family gently enforces it."
Verb
- 1 To kneel to. archaic, transitive
"I could as well be brought / To knee his throne and, squire-like, pension beg / To keep base life afoot"
- 2 To poke or strike with the knee. transitive
"When I blocked her from leaving, she kneed me in the groin."
- 3 To move on the knees; to use the knees to move. reflexive
"Hassan kneed himself up, over, in, soundlessly, feet on floor, knife out, eyes like blunter knife trying to cut darkness."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I'm afraid I have water in my knee joint."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "knee"?
Common synonyms include: genu, knee joint, angle, ankle, apex, articulatio genus.
How do you use "knee" in a sentence?
I'm afraid I have water in my knee joint.
How do you pronounce "knee"?
Pronounced /ni/.
Etymology
From Middle English kne, from Old English cnēow, from Proto-West Germanic *kneu, from Proto-Germanic *knewą, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵnéw-o-m, a thematic derivative of *ǵónu. See also West Frisian knibbel, Low German Knee, Knie, Dutch knie, German Knie, Danish knæ, Norwegian kne, Swedish knä; also Hittite 𒄀𒉡 (genu), Latin genū, Tocharian A kanweṃ (dual), Tocharian B kenī, Ancient Greek γόνυ (gónu, “knee”), γωνία (gōnía, “corner, angle”), Welsh glin (“knee”), Old Armenian ծունր (cunr), Avestan 𐬲𐬥𐬎𐬨 (žnum), Sanskrit जानु (jā́nu). The obsolete plural kneen is from Middle English kneen, knen, kneon, kneuwene.