knee

knee — noun

1. the place where your upper leg and lower leg come together, so you can sit, walk

1.nounB1
Definition

the place where your upper leg and lower leg come together, so you can sit, walk, and climb stairs

Example

Playing soccer, Gabriel twisted his right knee and had to stop.

collocation: twist your knee

"Bend your knee slowly," the doctor told Wei during the checkup.

imperative + possessive: bend your knee

Common collocations
  • bend your knee
  • twist your knee
  • hurt / injure your knee
  • graze / scrape your knee
  • swollen knee
  • weak knee
  • artificial knee
  • knee injury
  • knee pain
  • knee surgery
Synonyms
  • kneecap

    refers only to the small bone (patella) at the front of the knee, not the whole joint

  • joint

    much broader — any place where two bones meet (e.g. elbow, hip, shoulder); less specific than knee

Grammar Patterns

the + knee

possessive + knee(s)

Usage Note

This sense takes possessive determiners (my knee, his knees) when referring to a specific person, or the definite article (the knee) when speaking about the body part in general. Frequently used with verbs of injury (twist, hurt, injure, sprain, dislocate) and body-care verbs (bend, straighten, rest, protect).

Common Mistakes

I hurt my foot's knee.
I hurt my knee.
The knee is a single joint between the thigh and shin, not a part of the foot.

2. the area on trousers or leggings that goes over your knee when you wear them

2.nounB2
Definition

the area on trousers or leggings that goes over your knee when you wear them

Example

Minh's old jeans had a large rip right at the left knee.

collocation: rip at the knee

The knees of his work pants were stained with thick mud.

plural: the knees of [garment]

Common collocations
  • the knee(s) of ...
  • rip / tear at the knee
  • worn / frayed knees
  • reinforced knees
  • patches on the knees
  • holes in the knees

Grammar Patterns

the + knee(s) + of + garment

Usage Note

Often used in the plural (the knees of the trousers) because pants cover both legs. The singular (the knee of a garment) is used when referring to one leg only.

Idioms

bring someone / something to their knees

idiom

to defeat a person, group, or organisation so completely that they give up or fail

The economic crisis brought the company to its knees within months.

A long drought brought the farming community to its knees.

weak at the knees

idiom

feeling emotionally overwhelmed, extremely nervous, or physically faint, as if your legs cannot support you

Gabriel went weak at the knees when he saw the exam results.

The smell of freshly baked bread makes me weak at the knees.

take a knee

idiom

to kneel on one knee, either as a gesture of protest or respect, or to pause during a sporting event

The players took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice.

The coach told the injured player to take a knee until the pain passed.

on bended knee

idiom

in a kneeling position, typically to propose marriage or to make a serious request

Antonia's partner got down on bended knee and asked her to marry him.

at your mother’s knee

idiom

During early childhood, usually when learning something from your mother.

Maya learned to bake cookies at her mother's knee.

Did you learn those lullabies at your mother's knee?

the bee’s knees

idiom

A person or thing that is considered excellent or outstanding.

Diego thinks his new phone is the bee's knees.

Is that restaurant really the bee's knees?

bring somebody to their knees

idiom

To defeat someone completely, often in a conflict or war.

The general's strategy brought the enemy to their knees.

Did the siege finally bring the rebels to their knees?

bring something to its knees

idiom

To severely damage an organization or system so it cannot work properly.

The cyberattack brought the company's network to its knees.

A severe drought brought the local economy to its knees.

on bended knee(s)

idiom

In a humble and desperate manner, as if kneeling while asking for something.

He begged on bended knee for her forgiveness.

Would you ask on bended knee for a second chance?

put somebody over your knee

idiom

To punish a child by spanking them while they lie across your lap.

Grandpa threatened to put Brian over his knee.

Did your father ever put you over his knee?

take a/the knee

idiom

To kneel on one knee as a peaceful protest against racial injustice.

The athlete took a knee during the national anthem.

Many players took the knee to show support for equality.

knee — verb

Word family

  • kneecap
    nounB2
  • kneel
    verbB2
  • kneeling
    nounB2
  • knee-deep
    adjectiveC1
  • knee-high
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Knee refers to the whole joint where the upper and lower leg meet, including the surrounding bones, cartilage, and ligaments. Kneecap (or patella) is only the small flat bone at the front of the knee that protects the joint — you can injure your kneecap without damaging the whole knee. Joint is a much broader term that covers any place in the body where two bones connect (elbows, hips, shoulders, knuckles), so calling the knee 'a joint' is correct but not specific. Lap is a different concept: it is the flat area formed by your upper thighs when you sit down, not a body part — you hold a child on your lap, but you do not hurt your lap. For example: 'Vikram landed on both knees and bruised his kneecaps, but the knee joints were fine.' 'The toddler sat on Nellie's lap while she read a story.'

knee ↗kneecapjoint ↗lap ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • knee joint
  • knee injury
  • knee pain
  • knee surgery
  • knee replacement
  • knee pad
  • knee brace

Phrases

  • bend your knee
  • drop to your knees
  • fall to your knees
  • get down on one knee
  • bring someone to their knees

Prepositions

  • on your knees
  • to your knees
  • in the knee
  • at the knee

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Knee comes from Old English cnēow, which was pronounced with the 'k' sound. It traces back through Proto-Germanic *knewą to the ancient Proto-Indo-European root *ǵónu, meaning 'knee'. Many European languages carry this same root: Latin genū (knee), Greek góny (knee), and Sanskrit jānu (knee). Over centuries of English speech, the initial 'k' sound gradually fell silent, but the spelling kept the historical 'k' as a reminder of the word's older pronunciation.