kneel

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English knelen, from Old English cnēowlian (“to kneel”), equivalent to knee +‎ -le. Cognate with Dutch knielen, Low German knelen, dialectal German knielen, Alemannic German chnüle, Danish knæle, all meaning “to kneel”. === Pronunciation === enPR: nēl, IPA(key): /niːl/ (Early Modern) IPA(key): /kniːl/ Rhymes: -iːl Homophones: Neal, Neil, Niel === Verb === kneel (third-person singular simple present kneels, present participle kneeling, simple past and past participle knelt or kneeled) (intransitive) To rest on one's bent knees, sometimes only one; to move to such a position. (intransitive, of a bus or other vehicle) To sink down so that the entrance is level with the pavement, making it easier for passengers to enter. (transitive) To cause to kneel. (reflexive, archaic) To rest on (one's) knees. ==== Usage notes ==== The irregular form "knelt" is more commonly used in print than "kneeled". ==== Hyponyms ==== kneel down, genuflect ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “kneel”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “kneel”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. “kneel”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. === Anagrams === Kēlen