genuflect

== English == === Etymology === From around 1620–1630 from Medieval Latin genūflectō (“to bend the knee”) equivalent to the Latin genū (“knee”) + flectō (“to bend”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛn.jʊ.flɛkt/ Rhymes: -ɛkt === Verb === genuflect (third-person singular simple present genuflects, present participle genuflecting, simple past and past participle genuflected) (intransitive, archaic) To bend the knee, as in servitude. (intransitive) To briefly enter a position that touches one knee to the ground in a manner that is typically associated with formal homage or religious worship. (intransitive, figurative) To behave in a servile manner; to grovel. ==== Usage notes ==== The brief manner of touching one knee to the ground while genuflecting differs from the duration typically associated with kneeling down onto one or two knees. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== genuflection genuflector ==== Translations ==== === References === “genuflect”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.