kneecapping

See also: knee-capping

English

Noun

kneecapping (countable and uncountable, plural kneecappings)

1. The act of injuring the knees of (a person), usually by shooting at the knees; often a punishment carried out by criminals or terrorists.

   The mafiosi punished the informer by giving him a kneecapping.

   Five kneecappings have been reported this month.

Usage notes

• This term is considered a misnomer by medical professionals because only a very small minority of victims suffer damage to the kneecap.