: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee and protects the front of the joint : patella
… [Richard] Steadman did arthroscopic surgery on both knees, taking out cartilage, and adjusting synovial plica, the bands of thickened tissue that line the joint behind the kneecaps … William Oscar Johnson
Many people who play basketball, volleyball, or soccer are all too familiar with patellar tendinitis, an inflammation of the large tendon connecting the kneecap to the upper tibia. Andrew Weil
The stifle joint of a horse corresponds to the human knee. It has a patella, or kneecap, at the front of the joint. Robert M. Miller
: to shoot or otherwise maim or cripple the knee of (someone)
He was shot in both knees, deliberately maimed—"kneecapped," in local parlance. Francis X. Clines
… punishing petty crooks and unruly juveniles by kneecapping them, sometimes with bullets, sometimes with a … power drill. The degree of crippling one receives is supposed to be a reflection of the gravity of one's crime. Bill Barich
—often used figuratively
… hearing from people who grasp their brows in dire concern over whether the President is now too damaged to carry on—this from people who have been doing their … best to kneecap the man for years. Molly IvinsThis 66-yard scoring drive Smith engineered late in the first half … basically kneecapped the home team. Austin MurphyThe decision to liquidate $25 million worth of the band's Live Nation stock last year nearly kneecapped the company … Steve Kandell
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Deondre Francois immediately grabbed his left kneecap. Mitchell Gladstone, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2022 In fact, a 2017 study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found that isometric leg exercises were effective for relieving pain associated with the patella tendon, which connects the kneecap to the shin. Christa Sgobba, SELF, 24 Aug. 2022 And the Jets got bad news with right tackle Mekhi Becton, the team’s 2020 first-round pick who will miss the entire 2022 season after suffering a fracture in his kneecap last week. Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2022 Upon arrival, the Reds realized Schrock had suffered a small fracture in his right kneecap. Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, 1 Aug. 2022 Becton entered his first two NFL seasons as the starter on the left side, but suffered a dislocated right kneecap and cartilage damage in the opening game last year at Carolina. Dennis Waszak Jr., Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2022 Mayor was shot in the knee and had her kneecap shattered. Natalia Galicza, Sun Sentinel, 21 July 2022 But the one-day classics specialist and former cyclo-cross world champion is nursing a sore kneecap. Associated Press, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2022 Yelich suffered a fractured kneecap and missed the rest of the season, a total of 32 games and the postseason. Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 13 May 2022 See More