Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Definition: Elbow |
ElbowNoun1. Hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped. 2. A sharp bend in a road or river. 3. A length of pipe with a sharp bend in it. 4. The part of a sleeve that covers the elbow; "his coat had patches over the elbows". 5. The joint of a mammal or bird that corresponds to the human elbow. Verb1. Push one's way with the elbows. 2. Shove one's elbow into another person's ribs. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "elbow" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1509. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Computing | The joint which connects the upper arm and forearm. Source: European Union. (references) |
Electrical Engineering | A section of a waveguide in which the direction of the longitudinal axis changes gradually. Source: European Union. (references) |
Mechanical Engineering | A bend of short radius serving to connect two lengths of conduit which are at an angle of 90 degrees. Source: European Union. (references) |
Slang | Noun. Source: "Elbow" plays off of the abbreviation for pound, "lb." It is picked solely for the reason that it has an l and a b in it. Considered a code word used for security. Definition: One pound of marijuana. Context: Same as "nick" or "twomp." Dealers and buyers will discuss the buying and selling of elbows. Social Source: Marijuana Dealers. Source: Compiled by The University of Oregon. (additional references) |
Sports & Leisure | A slalom figure in which a closed gate is followed by an open gate set off to one side. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: ElbowSynonyms: articulatio cubiti (n), cubital joint (n), cubitus (n), elbow joint (n). (additional references) |
| Synonyms by domain: elbowing (sports & leisure). |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Activity | Verb: be active; Adjective: busy oneself in; stir, stir about, stir one's stumps; bestir oneself, rouse oneself; speed, hasten, peg away, lay about one, bustle, fuss; raise up, kick up a dust; push; make a push, make a fuss, make a stir; go ahead, push forward; fight one's way, elbow one's way; make progress; toll; (labor); plod, persist; (persevere) a; keep up the ball, keep the pot boiling. |
Advice | Confer, consult, refer to, call in; take advice, follow advice; be advised by, have at one's elbow, take one's cue from. |
Angularity | Elbow, knee, knuckle, ankle, groin, crotch, crutch, crane, fluke, scythe, sickle, zigzag, kimbo, akimbo. |
Convexity | Tooth, knob, elbow, process, apophysis, condyle, bulb, node, nodule, nodosity, tongue, dorsum, bump, clump; sugar loaf; (sharpness); bow; mamelon; molar; belly, corporation, pot belly, gut; withers, back, shoulder, lip, flange. |
Fold | Noun: fold, plicature, plait, pleat,ply, crease; tuck, gather; flexion, flexure, joint, elbow, double, doubling, duplicature, gather, wrinkle, rimple, crinkle, crankle, crumple, rumple, rivel, ruck, ruffle, dog's ear, corrugation, frounce, flounce, lapel; pucker, crow's feet; plication. |
Friction | Noun: friction, attrition; rubbing, abrasion, scraping. Verb: confrication, detrition, contrition, affriction, abrasion, arrosion, limature, frication, rub; elbow grease; rosin; massage; roughness . |
Impulse | Verb: give an impetus; Noun: impel, push; start, give a start to, set going; drive, urge, boom; thrust, prod, foin; cant; elbow, shoulder, jostle, justle, hustle, hurtle, shove, jog, jolt, encounter; run against, bump against, butt against; knock one's head against, run one's head against; impinge; boost; bunt, carom, clip y; fan, fan out; jab, plug. |
Nearness | Within hearing, within earshot; within an ace of; but a step, not far from, at no great distance; on the verge of, on the brink of, on the skirts of; in the environs; Noun: at one's door, at one's feet, at one's elbow, at one's finger's end, at one's side; on the tip of one's tongue; under one's nose; within a stone's throw; Noun: in sight of, in presence of; at close quarters; cheek by jole, cheek by jowl; beside, alongside, side by side, tete-a-tete; in juxtaposition; (touching); yardarm to yardarm, at the heels of; on the confines of, at the threshold, bordering upon, verging to; in the way. |
Pursuit | Tread a path; take a course, hold- a course; shape one's steps, direct one's steps, bend one's steps, course; play a game; fight one's way, elbow one's way; follow up; take to, take up; go in for; ride one's hobby. |
Sequence | Verb: advance; proceed, progress; get on, get along, get over the ground; gain ground; forge ahead; jog on, rub on, wag on; go with the stream; keep one;s course, hold on one's course; go on, move on, come one, get on, pass on, push on, press on, go forward, move forward, come forward, get forward, pass forward, push forward, press forward, go forwards, move forwards, come forwards, get forwards, pass forwards, push forwards, press forwards, go ahead, move ahead, come ahead, get ahead, pass ahead, push ahead, press ahead; make one's way, work one's way, carve one's way, push one's way, force one's way, edge one's way, elbow one's way; make progress, make head, make way, make headway, make advances, make strides, make rapid strides; (velocity); go ahead, shoot ahead; distance; make up leeway. |
Space | Spare room, elbow room, house room; stowage, roomage, margin; opening, sphere, arena. |
Support | Seat, throne, dais; divan, musnud; chair, bench, form, stool, sofa, settee, stall; arm chair, easy chair, elbow chair, rocking chair; couch, fauteuil, woolsack, ottoman, settle, squab, bench; aparejo, faldstool, horn; long chair, long sleeve chair, morris chair; lamba chauki, lamba kursi; saddle, pannel, pillion; side saddle, pack saddle; pommel. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | It seems she goes wild with desire if her husband nibbles on her elbow. (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge) Back! Elbow! Shoulder (The Emperor's New Groove; writing credit: Chris Williams; Mark Dindal) An elbow! That's how much I need you (The Rules of Attraction; writing credit: Roger Avary) One false move, and you'll receive your wife's elbow in the post, in three to five working days (3-2-0; writing credit: Stephen Hughes) | |
Lyrics | There's an elbow in my ear (Another One Rides The Bus; performing artist: Weird Al Yankovic) | |
Movie/TV Titles | The Devil at His Elbow (1916) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
| ||
Periodicals |
| ||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
| ||
Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
Rheumatoid nodule, subcutaneous tissue near elbow. Credit: CDC. | Here the GBS bacteria have entered the blood stream and migrated to the subcutaneous tissues of the right elbow causing localized erythema and edema. Credit: CDC. | ||
![]() | Jasper Bilby setting up 60' reconnaissance pole At Station Elbow - connecting with 98th Meridian Survey. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. | ![]() | The Christmas tree worm - Spirobranchus giganteus seen here on Elbow Reef. Credit: Sanctuaries. |
![]() | Physical Therapy Department, Deshon General Hospital, Butler, Pennsylvania : Pulleys being used for the exercise of both upper extremities including shoulder, elbow and wrist. Credit: National Library of Medicine. | ![]() | Drawings Illustrative of the Cololian Method of Treating Stiff Joints. : Elbow and ankle exercises. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |
![]() | No more elbow room in Missouri! : Kein Ellbogen Raum mehr in Missouri. Credit: Library of Congress. | ![]() | Nudge -- the language of the elbow. Credit: Library of Congress. |
![]() | Fiddler's Elbow, Thousand Islands, N.Y. Credit: Library of Congress. | ![]() | The Elbow, Ausable Chasm. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Andrew Lang | The little present must not be allowed wholly to elbow the great past out of view. |
Marcus Aurelius | Live not as though there were a thousand years ahead of you. Fate is at your elbow; make yourself good while life and power are still yours. |
Thomas Carlyle | No man lives without jostling and being jostled; in all ways he has to elbow himself through the world, giving and receiving offence. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | In the bend of his elbow might be seen the leaden head of his enormous cane, which disappeared behind him. |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | He bumped his elbow against the door at the end and, hurrying down the staircase, walked quickly through the two corridors and out into the air. |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | Noah and Tom and Al squatted, and the preacher sat down, and then reclined on his elbow. |
Gulliver's Travels | Swift, Jonathan | I had a table placed upon the same at which her Majesty ate, just at her left elbow, and a chair to sit on. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | The use of elbow width to judge frame size, as suggested in the 1983 tables, may or may not eliminate the problem. (references) | |
As an example, musculoskeletal conditions, such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and tennis elbow, or epicondylitis, are conditions for which acupuncture may be beneficial. (references) | ||
There is evidence of efficacy for postoperative dental pain. There are reasonable studies (although sometimes only single studies) showing relief of pain with acupuncture on diverse pain conditions such as menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, and fibromyalgia. (references) | ||
Children | Guyana | In June one student suffered a broken collar bone and another a broken elbow as a result of flogging by their teachers, a form of corporal punishment in public schools. (references) |
Human Rights | Namibia | A hospital report showed that he was injured on the back, elbow, and hand but did not indicate the cause of injury. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Elbow" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Elbow" is used about 1,095 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 1,095 | 6,896 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "elbow": a jerk with the elbow ♦ at one's elbow ♦ at the elbow ♦ blow with the elbow ♦ crook the elbow ♦ Devils Elbow ♦ elbow aside ♦ elbow bone ♦ elbow chair ♦ elbow cover ♦ elbow dart ♦ Elbow grease ♦ Elbow in the hawse ♦ elbow joint ♦ Elbow Lake ♦ elbow one's way ♦ elbow one's way through ♦ elbow one's way through the crowd ♦ elbow out ♦ elbow pad ♦ elbow pipe ♦ elbow rest ♦ elbow room ♦ Elbow scissors ♦ elbow smb. out ♦ elbow through ♦ give more power to smb.'s elbow ♦ golf elbow ♦ golfer's elbow ♦ have at one's elbow ♦ hit one's elbow ♦ Miner's elbow ♦ mouse elbow ♦ out at elbow ♦ strike one's elbow against smth. ♦ Tennis Elbow ♦ To elbow one's way. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "elbow": elbow-crutches, elbow-deep, elbow-dodging, elbow-grease, elbow-joint, elbow-length, elbow-patched, elbow-pipe, Elbow-rado, elbow-room, elbow-shuddering. | |
Ending with "elbow": knee-elbow. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
tennis elbow | 1,305 | 661 race elbow forearm pad | 29 |
elbow | 231 | elbow fracture | 28 |
elbow pain | 215 | golf elbow | 28 |
golfer elbow | 112 | nursemaids elbow | 28 |
elbow tendonitis | 104 | elbow beach hotel bermuda | 27 |
elbow room | 89 | tennis elbow surgery | 24 |
elbow injury | 83 | elbow cay | 24 |
tennis elbow treatment | 79 | fiddlers elbow country club | 23 |
elbow beach | 67 | elbow beach resort | 22 |
elbow beach bermuda | 67 | tennis elbow cure | 22 |
elbow fiddlers | 55 | 661 dj elbow pad | 21 |
elbow support | 49 | answer elbow guard | 21 |
elbow beach hotel | 42 | axo adult elbow guard | 21 |
anatomy elbow | 42 | adult elbow guard | 21 |
elbow pad | 33 | kid quadrant elbow guard | 21 |
elbow surgery | 31 | elbow joint | 18 |
exercise tennis elbow | 31 | bursitis elbow | 18 |
elbow lake minnesota | 29 | broken elbow | 18 |
elbow brace | 29 | elbow rash | 17 |
little league elbow | 29 | race elbow forearm pad | 17 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "elbow"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | bërryl (bend, loop, offset, oxbow, toggle, twist, winding). (various references) | |
Arabic | كوع (radius, wristbone), مرفق, الكرسي المرفق, دفع بالمرفق. (various references) | |
Asturian | coldu. (various references) | |
Aymara | mujlli. (various references) | |
Bemba | akaboyo. (various references) | |
Blackfoot | mohkínsstsis. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | колянова тръба, коляно (articulation, crank, joint, knee, leg, manifold, stub, toggle, tribe), винкел (set square), завой (bend, crook, curve, flexure, hook, return, sinuosity, sweep, tortuousity, turn, turning, wind, winding), лакът (cubit), бутам с лакът (hunch, nudge), извивам (bend, convolve, curl, curve, incurve, pull round, recurve, screw, turn, twine, twist, wreathe, wring, writhe). (various references) | |
Cebuano | siko. (various references) | |
Chinese | 手肘 . (various references) | |
Cornish | elyn. (various references) | |
Czech | loket (cubit, Ell). (various references) | |
Danish | albue. (various references) | |
Dutch | elleboog (bent tube, bow, elbow pipe, ell, knee, sharp bend). (various references) | |
Ecuadorian Quechua | ricramucu. (various references) | |
Esperanto | kubuto. (various references) | |
Faeroese | albogi. (various references) | |
Farsi | ارنج , دسته صندلی , باارنج زدن (Nudge). (various references) | |
Finnish | kyynärpää. (various references) | |
French | coude (elbow pipe, elbow union, ell, field elbow). (various references) | |
Frisian | earmtakke. (various references) | |
German | ellbogen (elbows), knie (knee, sharp bend), Ellenbogen (elbows). (various references) | |
Greek | αγκώνας. (various references) | |
Hawaiian | bërryl. (various references) | |
Hebrew | מרפק, ברך (knee, lap). (various references) | |
Hungarian | könyök (bend, ell), görbület (bend, bending, camber, crook, curvature, curve, flex, long bend, ply). (various references) | |
Indonesian | sikut. (various references) | |
Inuktitut | ekusik. (various references) | |
Italian | gomito (crank, sharp bend). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 肱 , 肘 , 屈曲部 (elbow-shaped bend), エル"ー盤 (aerogram, angel, Electone, Electra complex, electric, electric guitar, electricity, electroluminescence, electron, electronic, electronic banking, electronic cooking, electronic cottage, electronic file, electronic mail, electronic money, electronic music, electronic office, electronic sound, electronics, elegance, elegant, elegy, element, elementary, elevation, elevator, elf, elm, elocution, elven, encapsulation, enclosure, encode, encoder, encoding, encounter, encyclopedia, engage, engagement, engagement ring, engine, engine brake, engineer, engineering, engineering plastics, enjoy, erect, erection, erogenous zone, Eroica, Eros, erotic, erotic and grotesque, erotic and grotesque nonsense, erotic production, erotica, eroticism, erotism, erotomania, Herman, Hermes, ignition key, long-playing record, LP). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | くっきょくぶ (elbow-shaped bend), ひじ (a secret), エルボー . (various references) | |
Kongo | kosi kia koko. (various references) | |
Korean | "꿈치. (various references) | |
Macedonian | lakt. (various references) | |
Manx | uilliney, uillinaghey (jostle), jannoo uillin, camys (cove, harbour). (various references) | |
Maori | tuketuke-a. (various references) | |
Maya | kuuk. (various references) | |
Mohawk | ohyohsa. (various references) | |
Norwegian | albue. (various references) | |
Papago | sihsh. (various references) | |
Papiamen | èlebog. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | elboway.(various references) | |
Portuguese | cotovelo (ancon). (various references) | |
Provencal | coide. (various references) | |
Romanian | vinclu, meandru (bend, crook, double, ins and outs, loop, meander, turn, winding), face o cotiturã (double), cotiturã (bend, bent, crook, curve, double, meander, turn, turning, twist, wind, winding), cot (bend, crack, crook, cubit, curvature, curve, Ell, knee, knuckle, loop, meander, sweep, turn, turning, twist, winding), şerpui (loop, meander, twist, wave, wind, wriggle), împinge cu cotul. (various references) | |
Romansch | cumbel. (various references) | |
Romany | koonì. (various references) | |
Ruanda | inkokora. (various references) | |
Russian | угольник (angle, knee, set square, try square), толкать локтями, толкать локтем, толкать локоть, коленчатая труба, колено (crank, knee, limb, node, offset, toggle), локоть (cubit), проталкиваться (hustle, jostle through), подлокотник (armrest, elbow rest, elbow-rest). (various references) | |
Samoan | tualima. (various references) | |
Scottish | uileann (corner, the elbow). (various references) | |
Sepedi | setau. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | probiti (break out, break through, clear, cleave, come through, fight, force, go through, penetrate, pierce, plow, poke, ram, run through, stave in, thrust, wedge), lakat (cubit, ell), koleno (knee). (various references) | |
Shona | gokora. (various references) | |
Spanish | codo (cubit). (various references) | |
Sranan | bak'anu. (various references) | |
Swazi | ín-gcósa. (various references) | |
Swedish | armbåge. (various references) | |
Tagalog | síko. (various references) | |
Thai | สิ่งที่โค้งงอ, ความโค้งงอ, "ัน"้วยข้อศอก, ข้อศอก. (various references) | |
Turkish | itelemek (hustle, poke, push, repel, repulse), ite kaka yol açmak (elbow through), dirseklemek (nudge), dirsekle dürtmek (nudge), dirsek biçiminde eğim, dirsek (ancon, angle, bend, bracket, cubitus, flexion, offset, olecranon), dírsek, dönemeç (bend, curve, hook, sweep, turning, turnout, twist, wind, winding, zag). (various references) | |
Turkmen | tirsek (knee). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | штовхати ліктем, вигинатися (camber, curve), вигин (arc, bend, camber, crook, curve, twist), лікоть, підлокітник (arm, armrest), протискуватися (corkscrew, scrape, squash), проникати (come through, leak in, penetrate, perforate, permeate, seep, shuffle in, strike, work in, worm). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | tối tăm mặt mũi, khuỷu tay áo góc, khuỷu tay. (various references) | |
Welsh | elino, elin (angle, bend), penelino, penelin. (various references) | |
Yucatec | kuuk. (various references) | |
Zulu | indolowane. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | ancon, cubiti, cubitis, cubito, cubitorum, cubitos, cubitum, cubitus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "elbow": elbowed, elbowing, elbowroom, elbowrooms, elbows. (additional references) | |
| |
"Elbow" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Albrow, ebo, ebow, ebzw, edlow, Elbio, elbit, elbo, elcow, ellbow, elob, elow, elowe, Emblow, Esbo, Lebow. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "elbow" (pronounced e"lbō') |
| 3 | -l b ō' | Bilbo. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: below, bowel. | |
| Words within the letters "b-e-l-o-w" | |
-1 letter: blew, blow, bole, bowl, lobe, lowe. | |
-2 letters: bel, bow, lob, low, obe, ole, owe, owl, web, woe. | |
-3 letters: be, bo, el, lo, oe, ow, we, wo. | |
| Words containing the letters "b-e-l-o-w" | |
+1 letter: behowl, bellow, belows, blowed, blower, bowels, bowled, bowleg, bowler, elbows, wobble. | |
+2 letters: beclown, behowls, bellows, blowers, blowier, blowsed, blowzed, boweled, bowlder, bowlegs, bowlers, bowless, bowlike, bowline, cowbell, dowable, elbowed, embowel, lowbred, ownable, rowable, sowable, teabowl, wobbled, wobbler, wobbles. | |
+3 letters: avowable, beclowns, beflower, behowled, bellowed, bellower, bellwort, bestowal, billowed, blowhole, blowiest, blowpipe, blowsier, blowtube, blowzier, bluewood, boweling, bowelled, bowlders, bowlines, bowllike, browless, cowbells, disbowel, dowsabel, elbowing, embowels, furbelow, growable, knowable, overblew, overblow, plowable, showable, snowbell, snowbelt, sowbelly, stowable, teabowls, wellborn, wobblers, wobblier, wobblies, womblike, workable. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Quotations: Familiar | 9. Quotations: Fiction 10. Quotations: Non-fiction 11. Usage Frequency 12. Expressions | 13. Expressions: Internet 14. Translations: Modern 15. Translations: Ancient 16. Derivations | 17. Rhymes 18. Anagrams 19. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.