kneepan

7.2

A small flat bone at the front of the knee that protects it

noun
/ˈniːˌpæn/

: rótula

He suffered a fracture to his kneepan while playing football.

Examples

The doctor placed a bandage over her kneepan to protect the injury.
The kneepan protects the knee joint.
Evolutionary adaptations have shaped the kneepan to provide stability and flexibility to the knee.
She injured her kneepan while playing soccer.
He suffered a fracture to his kneepan while playing football.
The doctor placed a bandage over her kneepan to protect the injury.
She injured her kneepan while playing soccer.

Synonyms

kneecap

vskneepan

33 2.3

A small flat bone at the front of the knee that protects it

is the technical anatomical name used in medical contexts

patella

vskneepan

Specialized

6 6.7

A small flat bone at the front of the knee called the kneecap

is the common everyday name rather than the clinical term

Surface Forms

kneepan singular

kneepans plural

Morphology

kneepan = knee + pan (semi-transparent) = knee + pan

The parts 'knee' and 'pan' are identifiable, but 'pan' as the second element is archaic/less transparent and does not by itself indicate 'bone' to many learners.

Etymology

The word kneepan breaks into knee and pan, and a helpful way to remember it is to think of a 'pan' or shallow dish that sits over and protects the knee. So, a kneepan is the flat, protective bone, the kneecap, that covers the front of the knee.