From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishkneeknee1 /niː/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 1 HBHthe joint that bends in the middle of your leg Lucy had a bandage round her knee.on your knees She was on her knees (=kneeling), weeding the garden.sink/fall/drop to your knees (=move so that you are kneeling) Tim fell to his knees and started to pray. a knee injury2 DCthe part of your clothes that covers your knee His jeans had holes in both knees.3 → on somebody’s knee4 → knees knocking (together)5 → on your knees6 → bring somebody/something to their knees7 → put/take somebody over your knee8 → on bended knee(s) → learn/be taught something at your mother’s knee at mother1(4), → the bee’s knees at bee(5), → weak at the knees at weak(13)
Examples from the Corpus
knee• We need not crawl on bended knees.• Billy's jeans had holes in both knees.• Desmond Fairchild, paddling through the spotlights, his trousers rolled up to his hairy knees, shouted something at her.• It feathered her skin with goosebumps, doubled her pulse-rate, melted her knees.• She could, according to Marian, balance on her hands with her knees drawn up close to her chest.• And bringing an already faltering economy to its knees, transport workers brought the country to a virtual standstill in December.• Was it because I too went down on to my knees into the dirt to find a lost one?• Carrington did not suit up because of his sore knee.• Diaz's leg had to be amputated at the knee.• Surrounded by breathing, close enough to neighbours to touch knees.• The only thing I remember from my ski lessons was "keep your knees bent."sink/fall/drop to your knees• Carmine drops to his knees, lifts up my skirt, pulls down my underpants.• As the pilgrims passed, peasants who had gathered from the countryside sank to their knees.• When Blue Beard returns, he falls to his knees and hugs his wife.• The mestizo fell to his knees, but he still held the knife.• As Nelson paraded in front of the jury, the pants fell to his knees.• Then the red mists cleared and she sank to her knees, picking up the pieces, moaning softly.• As she sank to her knees, the Reichsmarschall felt the winkle underneath the whale begin to rise.• So that she knew when he stood up and walked round to drop to his knees beside her.kneeknee2 verb [transitive + in] HITto hit someone with your knee I kneed him in the groin.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
knee• She struggled free and kneed her attacker in the groin.• He must have felt that Fate, having knocked him down, had nipped back to knee him in the nuts.Origin knee1 Old English cneow 