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Definition of thick-knee

thick-knee

Plural:thick-knees
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thick-knee Lexical Profile

• noun

1

Any of several species of primarily nocturnal, ground-dwelling birds comprising the family Burhinidae, characterized by large eyes, cryptic plumage, and prominent, swollen joints in their long legs.

Example

"The bush thick-knee stood perfectly still, its plumage blending seamlessly into the dry Australian landscape to evade predators."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for thick-knee

Word Nuance & Usage

Although called a thick-knee, the visibly swollen joint on the bird's leg is anatomically the ankle (intertarsal joint), not the actual knee.

• Nearby Words

thessaloniki
thevetia
thi lo su
thick-knee
thick-lipped gourami
thicket
thigh

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the 18th century as a descriptive compound from 'thick' + 'knee', referencing the bird's distinctly swollen intertarsal joints.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Thick-knee. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/thick-knee
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