kneecapping
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: knee-capping
English
[edit ]Noun
[edit ]kneecapping (countable and uncountable , plural kneecappings )
- (gerund) 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.
- (gerund, figurative , by extension) An excessively and needlessly damaging attack or disparagement.
Usage notes
[edit ]- The literal sense of this term is considered a misnomer by medical professionals because only a very small minority of victims suffer damage to the kneecap.
Verb
[edit ]kneecapping
- present participle and gerund of kneecap