Kneel

Kneel

Verb · /niːl/

Definition

To go down on one or both knees; to rest the body's weight on the knee or knees, typically as an act of reverence, submission, prayer, or protest.

Origin

Old English cnēowlian, from cnēow (knee). Closely related to Dutch knielen and German knien. The verb form has remained remarkably stable across a thousand years of English.