elbow

noun

the joint of a mammal or bird that corresponds to the human elbow

the part of a sleeve that covers the elbow joint

a length of pipe with a sharp bend in it

a sharp bend in a road or river

hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped

verb

shove one's elbow into another person's ribs

push one's way with the elbows

Roots

elnel- · Old English · forearm boga-bow · Old English · bend

Synonyms for elbow

forearmn kneen shouldern wristn armn anklen knucklen hipn

Synonyms & related words for elbow

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of elbow — including forearm, knee, shoulder, wrist, arm, ankle. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to elbow

Explore words related to elbow — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include cubitus, anconal, anconoid, cubitiere, anconeal, prearm, epicondylitis, ginglymus. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for elbow

Common synonyms for elbow include forearm, knee, shoulder, wrist, arm, ankle, knuckle, hip — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does elbow come from?

The word elbow breaks down into 2 roots of Old English origin: el-, from Old English eln (“forearm”); and -bow, from Old English boga (“bend”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.