- kneecap
- Irishto maim by shooting in the kneesA form of punishment used by the IRA in Northern Ireland.
How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. R. W. Holder. 2014.
kneecap
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kneecap — knee cap v. t. to break the knees of, especially by shooting in the kneecap; often done by criminal or terrorist groups as a warning or punishment. Note: Syn: knee cap. [WordNet 1.5] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
kneecap — [nē′kap΄] n. PATELLA vt. kneecapped, kneecapping to maim by shooting or drilling the kneecap, often as an act of terrorism … English World dictionary
kneecap — knee cap , n. 1. (Anat.) A roundish, flattened, sesamoid bone in the tendon in front of the knee joint; the patella; the kneepan. [1913 Webster] 2. A cap or protection for the knee … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
kneecap — (n.) 1650s, a covering or protection for the knee, from KNEE (Cf. knee) (n.) + CAP (Cf. cap) (n.). Meaning bone in front of the knee joint is from 1869; the verb in the underworld sense of to shoot (someone) in the knee as punishment is attested… … Etymology dictionary
kneecap — ► NOUN ▪ the convex bone in front of the knee joint; the patella. ► VERB ▪ shoot in the knee or leg as a punishment … English terms dictionary
kneecap — I UK [ˈniːˌkæp] / US [ˈnɪˌkæp] noun [countable] Word forms kneecap : singular kneecap plural kneecaps the bone at the front of your knee II UK [ˈniːˌkæp] / US [ˈnɪˌkæp] verb [transitive] Word forms kneecap : present tense I/you/we/they kneecap… … English dictionary
Kneecap — The medical name for the kneecap is the patella. Whichever name kneecap or patella you prefer, it is the small bone that is in the front of the knee. The patella is a sesamoid bone, a little bone that is embedded in a joint capsule or tendon, in… … Medical dictionary
kneecap — n. knee bone, patella; knee protector, knee pad v. shoot in the kneecap or knee; cripple by shooting in the kneecap … English contemporary dictionary
kneecap — v. To undermine a person or injure a person s reputation in a particularly vicious manner. kneecapping n., pp. kneecapper n. Example Citations: The Reagans is an outrage, a kneecapping of a true American hero and a spit in the face of decency by… … New words
kneecap — knee|cap1 [ ni,kæp ] noun count the bone at the front of your knee kneecap knee|cap 2 [ ni,kæp ] verb transitive to shoot someone in the knee, especially as a violent punishment … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
kneecap — noun Date: 1869 patella … New Collegiate Dictionary
