Adjacent Words

Knee holly definitions

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Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Knee Knee, n. [OE. kne, cneo, As. cne['o], cne['o]w; akin to OS. knio, kneo, OFries. kn[=i], G. & D. knie, OHG. chniu, chneo, Icel. kn?, Sw. kn["a],Dan. kn[ae], Goth. kniu, L. genu, Gr. ?, Skr. j[=a]nu, ? Cf. Genuflection.] 1. In man, the joint in the middle part of the leg. 2. (Anat.) (a) The joint, or region of the joint, between the thigh and leg. (b) In the horse and allied animals, the carpal joint, corresponding to the wrist in man. 3. (Mech. & Shipbuilding) A piece of timber or metal formed with an angle somewhat in the shape of the human knee when bent. 4. A bending of the knee, as in respect or courtesy. Give them title, knee, and approbation. --Shak. Knee breeches. See under Breeches. Knee holly, Knee holm (Bot.), butcher's broom. Knee jerk (Physiol.) a jerk or kick produced by a blow or sudden strain upon the patellar tendon of the knee, which causes a sudden contraction of the quadriceps muscle; one of the so-called tendon reflexes. Knee joint. See in the Vocabulary. Knee timber, timber with knees or angles in it. Knee tribute, or Knee worship, tribute paid by kneeling; worship by genuflection. [Obs.] ``Knee tribute yet unpaid.'' --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Broom Broom, n. [OE. brom, brome, AS. br[=o]m; akin to LG. bram, D. brem, OHG. br[=a]mo broom, thorn?bush, G. brombeere blackberry. Cf. Bramble, n.] 1. (Bot.) A plant having twigs suitable for making brooms to sweep with when bound together; esp., the Cytisus scoparius of Western Europe, which is a low shrub with long, straight, green, angular branches, minute leaves, and large yellow flowers. No gypsy cowered o'er fires of furze and broom. --Wordsworth. 2. An implement for sweeping floors, etc., commonly made of the panicles or tops of broom corn, bound together or attached to a long wooden handle; -- so called because originally made of the twigs of the broom. Butcher's broom, a plant (Ruscus aculeatus) of the Smilax family, used by butchers for brooms to sweep their blocks; -- called also knee holly. See Cladophyll. Dyer's broom, a species of mignonette (Reseda luteola), used for dyeing yellow; dyer's weed; dyer's rocket. Spanish broom. See under Spanish.