kneel
/niːl
/verb (past and past participle knelt /nɛlt/ or kneeled) [no object]
Be in or assume a position in which the body is supported by a knee or the knees, as when praying or showing submission: they knelt down and prayed...
- She was kneeling over the dead body of the man she loved.
- The man hit him again and forced Pierre down on to his knees as if he was kneeling before a king.
- Then he noticed her, she was kneeling with her back to him but her long black curls were unmistakable.
Synonyms
fall to one's knees, get down on one's knees, genuflect, bow, bow down, make obeisance, kowtow, curtsy, show reverence, show deference;
crouch, squat, hunch down, hunker down
North American informal scooch
Origin
Old English cnēowlian, from cnēow (see knee).