Dictionary

genuflect en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈd͡ʒɛn.jʊ.flɛkt/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

PIE word *ǵónu From around 1620–1630 from Medieval Latin genūflectō (“to bend the knee”) equivalent to the Latin genū (“knee”) + flectō (“to bend”).

Meanings

1. (archaic, intransitive) To bend the knee, as in servitude.
2. (intransitive) To briefly enter a position that touches one knee to the ground in a manner that is typically associated with formal homage or religious worship.
   • She took the holy water on her fingertips and made the sign of the cross, fleetingly touched her wet fingertips to her parched lips. Candles flickered redly before the saints, the Christ on his cross. Kay genuflected before entering her row and then knelt on the hard wooden rail of the pew to wait for her call to Communion. circ. 1965, Mario Puzo, The Godfather:
   • At high Mass the deacon and subdeacon stand on either side, genuflect too, and answer. 1913, Adrian Fortescue, Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Gospel in the Liturgy:
   • First you get down on your knees, fiddle with your rosaries, / Bow your head with great respect, and / genuflect, genuflect, genuflect. 1965, Tom Lehrer, The Vatican Rag:
3. (figuratively, intransitive) To behave in a servile manner; to grovel.
   • Certainly, the megalomaniacs who aim to populate municipal fixtures with registered-trademark logos will expect cities to genuflect at every turn. 2017 September 27, Julianne Tveten, “Zucktown, USA”, in The Baffler:

Forms

Deriveds

genuflective

Relateds

genuflection · genuflector

Translations (49)

gl fincar o xeonllo (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · fr faire une génuflexion (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · it genuflettere (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · fa زانو خم کردن (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ca agenollar-se (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · pt genuflectir (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ru преклоня́ть коле́на/коле́ни (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · da bøje knæ (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · fr faire une génuflexion (to behave in a servile manner) · es postrarse (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · fi polvistua (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · eo genufleksi (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · sv knäfalla (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ru соверши́ть коленопреклоне́ние (to behave in a servile manner) · fr génuflexer (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · es arrodillarse (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ru преклони́ть коле́на/коле́ни (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · sv knäböja (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · it genuflettersi (to behave in a servile manner) · ru пресмыка́ться (to behave in a servile manner) · bg коленича (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · de niederknien (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · fi kyyristellä (to behave in a servile manner) · is koma fyrir kné (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ka მუხლის მოდრეკა (to behave in a servile manner) · la genuflecto (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ka მუხლის მოდრეკა (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · es doblar la rodilla (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · el προσκυνώ (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · sq bie në gjunjë (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ru соверша́ть коленопреклоне́ние (to behave in a servile manner) · it essere genuflesso (to behave in a servile manner) · gl dobregar o xeonllo (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · es prostrarse (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · es ponerse genuflexo (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · es genuflexionar (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · tl yumukdo (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ka დაჩოქება (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · tr diz çökmek (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · is knékrjúpa (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · is gera knéfall (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · fr génuflexionner (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · ka დაჩოქება (to behave in a servile manner) · ja 跪く (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · pl klękać (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · cmn 下跪 (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · is falla á kné (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · he כָּרַע בֶּרֶךְ (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship) · cmn 跪 (to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship)