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gen·u·flect

(jĕnyə-flĕkt′)

intr.v. gen·u·flect·ed, gen·u·flect·ing, gen·u·flects

1. To bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor or ground, as in worship.

2. To be servilely respectful or deferential; grovel.

[Late Latin genūflectere : Latin genū, knee; see genu-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Latin flectere, to bend.]

gen′u·flection (-flĕkshən) n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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