knee Copy link Outline 1. gĕnu, ūs, n.2. meton. poples, ĭtis, m. (strictly, the ham • knee: 1. gĕnu, ūs, n.: the k.-joint, genus commissura, Plin. 11, 45, 103: to fall on one's k.s, genu (genua) ponere, Petr. 133; with dat. of person in honour of whom, Curt. 8, 7, ad fin.: to sink upon one's k.s, in g. procumbere, id. 9, 5, med.: to fight on one's k.s, de genu pugnare, Sen. Prov. 2, 4: to fall at any one's k.s (in entreaty), se ad g. alicujus projicere, Auct. B. Afr. 89; advolvi, Tac. Ann. 113 (in best writers usu. ad pedes, etc.). Dimin. gĕnĭcŭlum: of the k.s of children, Varr. L. L. 9, 5, § 11. 2. meton. poples, ĭtis, m. (strictly, the ham: poet.): on bended k., duplicato p., Virg. Aen. 12, 927.
KNEE Copy link • KNEEgenu (PROP.): geniculum (IMPROP., any knee-like bending; e.g., joint or knot in reeds, etc.). To bend the knee, genua flectere (general term); genua (flexa) submittere (as a mark of reverence); before anybody, alicui: to fall on one’s knees, in genua procumbere, also, procumbere only (whether unintentionally or not): to sink down on one’s knees, in genua subsidere (Curt.): to fall or throw one’s self at anybody’s knees, alicui procumbere: ad genua alicujus procumbere: ad genua alicui, or genibus alicujus accidere, or se advolvere (Liv.; Cic., uses pedes rather than genua; e.g., alicui ad pedes or ad alicujus pedes procumbere, accidere, se projicere, etc.); prosternere se et supplicari alicui (all as suppliant): genua alicui ponere et eum venerari: humi procumbentem venerari aliquem: also, venerari aliquem only (to show him reverence): to lie at anybody’s knees, supplicem esse alicui; ad pedes jacere alicui (Cic., Verr., 2, 5, 49): to embrace anybody’s knees, alicujus genua amplecti or prehensare. To kneel upon one’s knee, genu niti. Knee of timber, geniculus: versura (Vitr.): *erenu ligneum.