elbow
Americannoun
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the bend or joint of the human arm between upper arm and forearm.
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the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped.
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something bent like an elbow, as a sharp turn in a road or river, or a piece of pipe bent at an angle.
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Architecture. crossette.
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Also called ell, el. a plumbing pipe or pipe connection having a right-angled bend.
verb (used with object)
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to push with or as if with the elbow; jostle.
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to make (one's way) by so pushing.
verb (used without object)
idioms
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at one's elbow, within easy reach; nearby.
A virtue of the cottage is that the ocean is at your elbow.
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rub elbows with, to mingle socially with; associate with.
a resort where royalty rubs elbows with the merely rich.
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out at the elbows, Also out at elbows.
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poorly dressed; shabby.
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impoverished.
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bend / lift / crook an elbow, to drink alcoholic beverages.
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give the elbow, shove aside, get rid of, or reject.
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up to one's elbows, very busy; engrossed: Also up to the elbows.
I am up to my elbows in answering mail.
noun
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the joint between the upper arm and the forearm, formed by the junction of the radius and ulna with the humerus
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the corresponding joint or bone of birds or mammals
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the part of a garment that covers the elbow
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something resembling an elbow, such as a sharp bend in a road or river
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within easy reach
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ragged or impoverished
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busily occupied with; deeply immersed in
verb
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(tr) to reject; dismiss. Also: give the elbow
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to make (one's way) by shoving, jostling, etc
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(tr) to knock or shove with or as if with the elbow
Etymology
Origin of elbow
before 1000; Middle English elbowe, Old English el ( n ) boga; cognate with Middle Dutch elle ( n ) bōghe, Old High German el ( l ) inbogo ( German Ellenbogen ), Old Norse ǫl ( n ) bogi; literally, “forearm-bend.” See ell 2, bow 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There was dirt in my teeth, my elbow was bleeding and everything hurt, but I jumped up, determined to finish.
Scott struggled to find his footing, primarily as a closer, before a left elbow injury placed him on injured list in mid-July, causing him to miss a month of action.
From Los Angeles Times
Such action could easily be hidden; elbows, knees, hips, and ankles were covered by long dresses.
From Literature
Carnahan claimed that he injured his left elbow while at work in May 2023 and was subsequently placed on total temporary disability status, prosecutors said.
From Los Angeles Times
Cotter, who will take over from incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss at the Queensland Reds next season, has reshuffled his front row with Joshua Fusitu'a ruled out with an elbow injury.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
