Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - knee

~1 n 1 the joint that bends in the middle of your leg  (Lift using your knees, not your back.) 2 the part of your clothes that covers your knee  (holes in both knees) 3 on sb's knee on the top part of your legs when you are sitting down  (Daddy, can I sit on your knee?) 4 with your knees knocking (together) feeling very afraid or very cold 5 on your knees in a way that shows you have no power or are very sorry  (He begged me, on his knees, to forgive him.) 6 bring sb/sth to their knees a) to defeat a country or group of people in a war b) to have such a bad effect on an organization, activity etc that it cannot continue  (The recession has brought many companies to their knees.) 7 put sb over your knee old-fashioned to punish a child by hitting them 8 on bended knee (s) old-fashioned in a way that shows great respect for someone  (worshipping on bended knee)  (- see also knee/elbow pad pad1 (1), learn/be taught sth at your mother's knee mother1 (5), the bee's knees bee (4), weak at the knees weak (11)) ~2 v T + tha to hit someone with your knee  (I kneed him in the groin.)