elbow
pronunciation
How to pronounce elbow in British English:
UK [ˈelbəʊ]
How to pronounce elbow in American English:
US [ˈelboʊ]
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- Noun:
- hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
- a sharp bend in a road or river
- a length of pipe with a sharp bend in it
- the part of a sleeve that covers the elbow
- the joint of a mammal or bird that corresponds to the human elbow
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- Verb:
- push one's way with the elbows
- shove one's elbow into another person's ribs
Word Origin
- elbow
- elbow: [OE] Logically enough, elbow means etymologically ‘arm bend’. It comes from a prehistoric West and North Germanīc *alinobogan (which also produced German ellenbogen, Dutch elleboog, and Danish albue). This was a compound formed from *alinā ‘forearm’ and *bogan (source of English bow). However, there is a further twist.For *alinā (source also of English ell [OE], a measure of length equal to that of the forearm) itself goes back ultimately to an Indo-European base *el-, *ele- which itself meant ‘bend’, and produced not just words for ‘forearm’ (such as Latin ulna), but also words for ‘elbow’ (such as Welsh elin). So at this deepest level of all, elbow means tautologically ‘bend bend’.=> bow, ell, ulna
- elbow (n.)
- "bend of the arm," c. 1200, elbowe, from a contraction of Old English elnboga "elbow," from Proto-Germanic *elino-bugon, literally "bend of the forearm" (cognates: Middle Dutch ellenboghe, Dutch elleboog, Old High German elinbogo, German Ellenboge, Old Norse ölnbogi). For first element, see ell (n.1) "length of the forearm;" second element represented by Old English boga "bow, arch" (see bow (n.1)). Second element related to Old English bugan "to bend" (see bow (v.)); first element from *alina "arm," from PIE *el- (1) "elbow, forearm" (see ell (n.1)). To be out at elbows (1620s) was literally to have holes in one's coat. Phrase elbow grease "hard rubbing" is attested from 1670s, from jocular sense of "the best substance for polishing furniture." Elbow-room, "room to extend one's elbows," hence, "ample room for activity," attested 1530s.
- elbow (v.)
- "thrust with the elbow," c. 1600, from elbow (n.). Figurative sense is from 1863. Related: Elbowed; elbowing.
Example
- 1. You 've heard of tennis elbow .
- 2. Is it related to tennis elbow ?
- 3. One woman 's elbow rests on a claim form for lost land and property .
- 4. And if you don 't stop jerking off , your tennis elbow will never get better .
- 5. Easy to recognize because the child holds his arm as if it were in a sling with the elbow bent and the palm down .