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kneecap

noun
/ˈniːˌkæp/

Etymology

From knee + cap.

  1. derived from caput
  2. derived from cappa
  3. inherited from *kappā✻ — “covering, hood, mantle”
  4. inherited from cæppe
  5. inherited from cappe
  6. compounded as kneecap — “knee + cap”

Definitions

  1. The flat, roundish bone in the knee.

  2. A metal cover trim that fits over a panel rib after it has been cut and bent.

  3. A cap or strong covering for the knees, used chiefly for horses, to protect their knees…

    A cap or strong covering for the knees, used chiefly for horses, to protect their knees in case of a fall.

  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. To destroy the knees of (a person), usually by shooting at the knees, as a punishment…

      To destroy the knees of (a person), usually by shooting at the knees, as a punishment carried out by criminals or terrorists.

      • The Sinn Féin press officer Richard McAuley freely admitted, “Back four or five years ago, people were getting kneecapped who should not have been kneecapped.”

    2. To attack (someone) in a way that is excessively and needlessly damaging

      To attack (someone) in a way that is excessively and needlessly damaging: To cut (someone) off at the knees.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for kneecap. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA