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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

kneecap en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈniːˌkæp/
  • nē'kăp
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From knee + cap.

Meanings

  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 in case of a fall.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
kneecaps Number=Plur lexicographic

Synonyms

patella · scutum · rotula · kneepan

Translations (109)

sl pogačica (bone) · cmn 膝蓋骨 /膝盖骨 (bone) · af knieknop (bone) · gl rótula (bone) · lo ສະບັງ (bone) · it patella (bone) · arz صبونة (bone) · ko 슬개골 (bone) · id tempurung lutut (bone) · tr diz kapağı (bone) · ga caipín glúine (bone) · uk наколі́нок (bone) · eo patelo (bone) · new पुलिक्वँय् (bone) · ko 무릎뼈 (bone) · ml മുട്ടിൻചിരട്ട (bone) · br mell-glin (bone) · hy ծնկոսկր (bone) · mi popoki (bone) · ga gealacán (bone) · gd failmean (bone) · tr patella (bone) · lo ຫມາກບ້າຫົວເຂົ່າ (bone) · mel sulau bukou (bone) · ba тубыҡ ҡапҡасы (bone) · te మోకాటి చిప్ప (bone) · kn ಮಂಡಿಚಿಪ್ಪು (bone) · uk надколі́нник (bone) · uk надколі́нок (bone) · mww pob hauv caug (bone) · ota دیز قپاغی (bone) · ca ròtula (bone) · tl suklob-tuhod (bone) · es rótula (bone) · rsk погарик (bone) · id cencawan (bone) · mn тойг (bone) · kw penn glin (bone) · az diz qapağı (bone) · sv knäskål (bone) · my ဒူးခေါင်း (bone) · id patela (bone) · ka სამუხლე (bone) · dv ފިޔަން ކަށިގަނޑު (bone) · gl rodela (bone) · af knieskyf (bone) · syc ܙܵܒ݂ܘܼܪܬܵܐ ܕܥܲܛܡܵܐ (bone) · cy pellen pen-glin (bone) · km ក្បាលជង្គង់ (bone) · izh polvenkakku (bone) · lo ຊານຸມົນທົນ (bone) · hu térdkalács (bone) · ga gealacán glúine (bone) · nl knieschijf (bone) · pam bulakus (bone) · ru надколе́нник (bone) · ro patelă (bone) · ms patela (bone) · es choquezuela (bone) · la patella (bone) · fi polvilumpio (bone) · ceb tuwáytuway (bone) · ru коле́нная ча́шечка (bone) · tl suklob ng tuhod (bone) · vi xương bánh chè (bone) · bo པུས་མོའི་ལྷ་ང (bone) · is hnéskel (bone) · ka კვირისთავი (bone) · ms cencawan (bone) · de Kniescheibe (bone) · uk колі́нна ча́шечка (bone) · nv agod distʼání (bone) · ru надколе́нная ча́шка (bone) · bg капачка на коляното (bone) · th สะบ้า (bone) · se čibbeskálžu (bone) · uk наколі́нник (bone) · cs čéška (bone) · nl patella (bone) · bg патела (bone) · nrf palette du g'nou (bone) · it rotula (bone) · ca patel·la (bone) · da knæskal (bone) · pt patela (bone) · skr چُھوݨی (bone) · ro rotulă (bone) · ja 膝蓋骨 (bone) · id kunci-kunci lutut (bone) · de Patella (bone) · el επιγονατίδα (bone) · fa کشکک (bone) · fr rotule (bone) · izh polvensilmä (bone) · eu belaunburu (bone) · kxd kapala tuhut (bone) · kmr kulavê çokê (bone) · vo patel (bone) · cy padell pen-glin (bone) · ms tempurung lutut (bone) · ms kunci-kunci lutut (bone) · he פיקה (bone) · sa कपोल (bone) · ar رَضَفَة (bone) · pt rótula (bone) · tl bayugo (bone) · pl rzepka (bone) · kix shīekāuh khǜvīe (bone) · lb Knéischeif (bone)

kneecap en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈniːˌkæp/
  • nē'kăp
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From knee + cap.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) 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.” 2020, Liam Kennedy, Who Was Responsible for the Troubles?, McGill-Queen's Press, →ISBN, page 109:
  2. (broadly, figuratively, transitive) To attack (someone) in a way that is excessively and needlessly damaging: to cut (someone) off at the knees.
    • This story of how American originality lost its way is arresting and well told. On an alternate timeline without Donald Trump in office dismantling the American scientific establishment and Elon Musk kneecapping the American state, it might have been the manifesto of a new politics. 2025 March 18, Samuel Moyn, “Can Democrats Learn to Dream Big Again?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 27 Mar 2025:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
kneecapped Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
kneecapped Tense=Past lexicographic
kneecapping Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
kneecaps Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Relateds

kneecapping · kneecapper

Translations (3)

it azzoppare (to destroy the knees) · pl przestrzelić kolana (to destroy the knees) · it gambizzare (to destroy the knees)