ginocchio

See also: Ginocchio

Italian

Etymology

From Late Latin genuculum, alteration of Latin geniculum, diminutive of genū (“knee”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵónu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒiˈnɔk.kjo/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔkkjo
• Hyphenation: gi‧nòc‧chio

Noun

ginocchio m (plural ginocchi m or (in fixed expressions) ginocchia f)

1. (anatomy) knee

Usage notes

• The masculine plural ginocchi can be used in most cases. However, the masculine plural form is often found exclusively in formal and literary Italian, whereas the feminine plural ginocchia is default and most commonly used plural form, including in everyday situations. It is also used in several fixed expressions:

  sedere sulle ginocchia di qualcuno ― to be sitting on someone's lap (literally, “to sit on someone's knees”)

  fa venire il latte alle ginocchia ― to watch paint dry (literally, “to get milk up one's knees”)

Related terms

• ginocchiata
• ginocchiello
• ginocchiera
• ginocchioni
• inginocchiarsi