Kneebones

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The bones forming the joint between the thigh and lower leg, typically called the knee cap and adjacent bones; small bones historically used as gaming pieces or dice
2. The skeletal parts comprising the knee area including the patella; also refers to small bones used traditionally in various games resembling dice
3. Bones constituting the knee joint, notably the patella, known for facilitating leg movement; additionally denotes small ossified pieces utilized in traditional children's games or divination practices

Etymology: "Kneebones" is simply the plural of "kneebone," a compound of "knee" and "bone." Both parts are native English: "knee" comes from Old English "cnēo," and "bone" from Old English "bān," which has cognates across the Germanic languages. The compound is formed the ordinary way, joining two inherited words to name the bone at the knee joint. The plural matters mainly for the phrase "to be on one's kneebones," meaning to kneel or to be reduced to kneeling, which is the sense the word usually carries in older writing. Its literal sense, the bones of the knee, is the one the dictionary gives first.

Synonyms: patellae, kneecaps, joints