Emily Dickinson Lexicon

KNEE, n. [nee; Sax. cneow; G. knie; D. knie; Sw. knä; Dan. knæ; Fr. genou; It. ginocchio; L. genu; Gr. γονυ; Sans. janu. As the same word in Saxon signifies generation, it appears to belong to the family of γινομαι, geno, and to signify a shoot or protuberance.]

1. In anatomy, the articulation of the thigh and leg bones.
2. In ship-building, a piece of timber somewhat in the shape of the human knee when bent, having two branches or arms, and used to connect the beams of a ship with her sides or timbers. – Mar. Dict.