Definition of the word knee

Pronunciation of vocabulary knee

kneenoun

đầu gối

/niː/

Definition of the word <b>knee</b>

Origin of the word knee

The word "knee" has a fascinating history! According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "knee" comes from the Old English word "cnēo," which was derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*kniþiz," meaning "knee joint." This Proto-Germanic word is thought to be related to the Proto-Indo-European root "*gen-" which meant "bend" or "curve." So, in essence, the word "knee" originally referred to the bending or curving of the leg. Over time, the spelling of the word evolved to its current form, "knee," and its meaning expanded to include the joint itself. In Middle English (circa 1100-1500 AD), the word was spelled "kne" or "knei," and by the 16th century, it had stabilized to its modern spelling.

Vocabulary summary knee

typenoun

meaningknee

exampleup to one's knee

meaningknee

examplethe trousers bulge at the knees

meaning(technical) elbow, swivel joint

typetransitive verb

meaningknee bump

exampleup to one's knee

meaningstrengthen (frame...) with iron

examplethe trousers bulge at the knees

meaning(slang) to puff out (pants) at the knees

Example of vocabulary kneenamespace

meaning

the joint between the top and bottom parts of the leg where it bends in the middle

khớp giữa phần trên và phần dưới của chân nơi nó uốn cong ở giữa

  • a knee injury

    chấn thương đầu gối

  • I had knee surgery three years ago.

    Tôi đã phẫu thuật đầu gối ba năm trước.

  • Bend your knees until you feel your thigh muscles working.

    Cong đầu gối cho đến khi bạn cảm thấy cơ đùi đang hoạt động.

  • I grazed my knee when I fell.

    Tôi sượt qua đầu gối khi ngã.

  • He went down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

    Anh quỳ xuống và ngỏ lời cầu hôn cô.

  • She was on her knees scrubbing the kitchen floor.

    Cô đang quỳ gối lau sàn bếp.

  • Everyone was down on (their) hands and knees (= crawling on the floor) looking for the ring.

    Mọi người đều quỳ xuống (= bò trên sàn) để tìm chiếc nhẫn.

  • He fell to his knees and begged for mercy.

    Anh ta quỳ xuống và cầu xin sự thương xót.

  • My knees were knocking (= I was frightened).

    Đầu gối của tôi đang khuỵu xuống (= tôi sợ hãi).

Extra examples:
  • He dropped to one knee.

    Anh khuỵu một đầu gối xuống.

  • He hugged his knees to keep warm.

    Anh ôm lấy đầu gối để giữ ấm.

  • He patted her knee reassuringly.

    Anh vỗ nhẹ vào đầu gối cô trấn an.

  • He slapped his knee as he rocked with laughter.

    Anh ta vỗ đầu gối khi lắc lư cười.

  • He's snapped a ligament in his knee.

    Anh ấy bị đứt dây chằng ở đầu gối.

meaning

the part of a piece of clothing that covers the knee

phần quần áo che đầu gối

  • I brushed the dust from the knees of my trousers.

    Tôi phủi bụi ở đầu gối quần.

  • These jeans are torn at the knee.

    Chiếc quần jean này bị rách ở đầu gối.

  • a knee patch

    một miếng vá đầu gối

meaning

the top surface of the upper part of the legs when you are sitting down

bề mặt trên của phần trên của chân khi bạn ngồi xuống

  • Come and sit on Daddy's knee.

    Hãy đến ngồi trên đầu gối của bố.

Extra examples:
  • She had a blanket draped across her knees.

    Cô có một tấm chăn phủ ngang đầu gối.

  • She sat on her father's knee while he read her a story.

    Cô ngồi trên đầu gối của cha mình trong khi ông đọc truyện cho cô nghe.

Words, synonyms, related vocabulary knee

Idioms of vocabulary knee

at your mother’s knee
when you were very young
  • I learnt these songs at my mother's knee.
    • the bee’s knees
    (informal)an excellent person or thing
  • She thinks she's the bee's knees (= she has a very high opinion of herself).
    • bring somebody to their knees
    to defeat somebody, especially in a war
    bring something to its knees
    to badly affect an organization, etc. so that it can no longer function
  • The strikes brought the industry to its knees.
  • The fuel shortage brought the country to its knees within weeks.
    • on bended knee(s)
    if you ask for something on bended knee(s), you ask for it in a very anxious and/or humble way (= showing you think you are less important than the person you are asking)
  • I’d go down on bended knee if I thought she’d change her mind.
    • put somebody over your knee
    to punish somebody by making them lie on top of your knee and hitting their bottom
    take a/the knee
    to kneel on one knee in public in order to protest about the unfair treatment of black people
  • Officers at the rally were seen taking a knee in solidarity with the demonstrators.
    • weak at the knees
    (informal)hardly able to stand because of emotion, fear, illness, etc.
  • His sudden smile made her go weak at the knees.

    • Comment ()