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kneel Definition

kneel (nēl)

intransitive verb knelt or kneeled, kneel·ing

to bend or rest on a knee or the knees

Etymology: ME knelen < OE cneowlian < cneow, knee

kneel Synonyms

kneel

v.

bend the knee, rest on the knees, do obeisance, genuflect, bend, stoop, bow down, curtsey; see also bow 1.

kneel Usage Examples

Object

  • coward: How can a kneeling coward know what it's like to fall?
  • mat: Turn up with a pair of gardening gloves and a kneeling mat and everyone just knows you've never done it before.
  • figure: Round the tomb are 14 kneeling figures of children.
  • position: Slowly, he rose from his kneeling position on the ground.
  • chair: The Balans chair ( a kneeling chair ) is one example.

Preposition: on

  • four: Why not try: Single Leg Curls: Kneel on all fours with your arms slightly wider than your shoulders.
  • knee: Don't always kneel on one knee, alternate knees or kneel on both knees.
  • cushion: Back to the front room, knelt on cushions leaning over birth ball.
  • floor: I see the teenager kneeling on the floor, her head in her mother's lap.

Preposition: at

  • altar: This just involves kneeling at the altar, where Mark and Sonia place their hands on your head and pray for healing.
  • desk: Clerk's mural effigy is shown in armor, kneeling at a prayer desk with a book in front of him.
  • foot: In a touching moment, I knelt at the foot of his bed to pay final respects.

Noun used with modifier

I: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Modifying Another Word

humbly: He appears to come to Jesus humbly kneeling with a request.

Followed by an intransitive particle

down: The Brother knelt down at the foot of the bed with his feet out of the door.

Preposition: before

altar: When the priest called them to come forward some knelt before the altar and some didn't.

Infinitive complement

pray: But before getting into bed, he knelt down to pray.

Preposition: in

  • prayer: Could Godiva once have really knelt in prayer here?
  • front: He said nothing, instead he knelt in front of her, his dark hair falling around his face.

Preposition: for

prayer: Four sailors knelt for prayer down in the depths of the battleship, ' North Carolina ' , anchored in the harbor.

Browse dictionary entries near kneel

  1. kneehole
  2. kneecap
  3. knee-slapper
  4. knee jerk
  5. knee-high
  6. knee-deep
  7. knee breeches
  8. knee
  9. knead
  10. knavish
  1. kneeler
  2. kneepad
  3. kneepiece
  4. kneesies
  5. knell
  6. knelt
  7. Knesset
  8. knew
  9. Knickerbocker
  10. knickers