knee

The part in the middle of your leg that lets it bend.

• My knee hurts.
• She fell and scraped both knees.
• Can you bend your knee without pain?

Common phrases: bend a knee, knee pain, knee injury

A sharp bend in an object or line, especially where a graph changes direction.

• The graph has a clear knee.
• Beyond the knee, the curve rises steeply.
• Mark the knee where the line changes direction.

How to use it: knee of something (The knee of the curve marks a sudden change in behavior.)

Similar words: bend, turn

Common phrases: knee of something, knee point, curve knee

A bent piece of wood or metal used to support or join parts of a structure.

• A wooden knee supports the beam.
• They replaced the damaged knee inside the boat.
• Steel knees connect the beams to the frame.

Similar words: angle bracket

Common phrases: wooden knee, steel knee, hanging knee

To strike someone or something with the joint in the middle of your leg.

• He tried to knee me.
• She kneed him in the stomach and ran away.
• The fighter accidentally kneed his opponent in the face.

How to use it: knee someone in something (She kneed the attacker in the stomach.)

Common phrases: knee someone, knee someone’s stomach