elbow

[ el-boh ]

/ ˈɛl boʊ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR elbow ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the bend or joint of the human arm between upper arm and forearm.

the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped.

something bent like an elbow, as a sharp turn in a road or river, or a piece of pipe bent at an angle.

Architecture. crossette.

Also called ell, el. a plumbing pipe or pipe connection having a right-angled bend.

verb (used with object)

to push with or as if with the elbow; jostle.

to make (one's way) by so pushing.

verb (used without object)

to elbow one's way: He elbowed through the crowd.

Idioms for elbow

at one's elbow, within easy reach; nearby: A virtue of the cottage is that the ocean is at your elbow.

bend/lift/crook an elbow, Informal. to drink alcoholic beverages.

give the elbow, shove aside, get rid of, or reject.

out at the elbows,

poorly dressed; shabby.
impoverished.

Also out at elbows.

rub elbows with, to mingle socially with; associate with: a resort where royalty rubs elbows with the merely rich.

up to one's elbows, very busy; engrossed: I am up to my elbows in answering mail. Also up to the elbows.

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 ell², bow¹

Words nearby elbow

elbe river, elberfeld, elbert, elberta, elbląg, elbow, elbow bone, elbow catch, elbow grease, elbow joint, elbow room

Example sentences from the Web for elbow

I shut my eyes yet felt aware of the garden at my elbow, the blooms opening as if in time-lapse, the stalks lengthening.

Denis Johnson’s Beautiful Apocalypse |Nicholas Mancusi |November 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
What the state really needs is to figure out how to elbow its way into the tech economy.

The State Where the Right Won the Culture War |Michael Tomasky |October 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He changed sliders three times until he found one that didn't hurt his elbow.

Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up |Tom Boswell |September 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
We never tell him, 'Great screwball,' though, because then his elbow would hurt.

Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up |Tom Boswell |September 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Once, seeing Palmer reading Dr. Zhivago, teammate Steve Stone said, "It must be about an elbow specialist."

Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up |Tom Boswell |September 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Mrs. Chattaway buried her elbow on the sofa-cushion, and pressed her hand to her face, half covering it, before she spoke.

Trevlyn Hold |Mrs. Henry Wood
So she stood an instant and then she reclined on the edge of the bed, resting on one elbow and looking down at him.

Bride of the Mistletoe |James Lane Allen
Earl placed an elbow on his knee, using his hand as a rest for his throbbing temples.

The Hindered Hand |Sutton E. Griggs
Garry propped himself upon one elbow, the better to see the speaker's countenance.

Then I'll Come Back to You |Larry Evans
The bay is merely an elbow, half the winds blowing in from the open sea.

Ned Myers |James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for elbow

elbow

/ (ˈɛlbəʊ) /

noun

the joint between the upper arm and the forearm, formed by the junction of the radius and ulna with the humerus

the corresponding joint or bone of birds or mammals

the part of a garment that covers the elbow

something resembling an elbow, such as a sharp bend in a road or river

at one's elbow within easy reach

out at elbow or out at elbows ragged or impoverished

up to the elbows with or up to the elbows in busily occupied with; deeply immersed in

verb

(tr) to reject; dismiss. Also: give the elbow

to make (one's way) by shoving, jostling, etc

(tr) to knock or shove with or as if with the elbow

Word Origin for elbow

Old English elnboga; see ell ², bow ²; related to Old Norse olbogi, Old High German elinbogo

Medical definitions for elbow

elbow

[ ĕl′bō′ ]

n.

The joint or bend of the arm between the forearm and the upper arm. cubitus

The bony outer projection of this joint.

Something having a bend or an angle similar to an elbow.

Idioms and Phrases with elbow

elbow

In addition to the idioms beginning with elbow

elbow grease
elbow room

also see:

at someone's elbow
crook one's elbow
out at the elbows
rub elbows with

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

elbow

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Idioms for elbow

Origin of elbow

Words nearby elbow

Example sentences from the Web for elbow

British Dictionary definitions for elbow

noun

verb

Word Origin for elbow

Medical definitions for elbow

n.

Idioms and Phrases with elbow

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

elbow

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Idioms for elbow

Origin of elbow

Words nearby elbow

Content related to elbow

Words related to elbow

Example sentences from the Web for elbow

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for elbow

noun

verb

Word Origin for elbow

Medical definitions for elbow

n.

Idioms and Phrases with elbow

British Dictionary definitions for elbow