elbow

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: el=bow

CIDE DICTIONARY

elbow, n. [AS. elboga, elnboga (akin to D. elleboga, OHG. elinbogo, G. ellbogen, ellenbogen, Icel. lnbogi; prop.; arm-bend); eln ell (orig., forearm) + boga a bending. See 1st Ell, and 4th Bow.].

•  The joint or bend of the arm; the outer curve in the middle of the arm when bent.  [1913 Webster]

  "Her arms to the elbows naked."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any turn or bend like that of the elbow, in a wall, building, and the like; a sudden turn in a line of coast or course of a river; also, an angular or jointed part of any structure, as the raised arm of a chair or sofa, or a short pipe fitting, turning at an angle or bent.  [1913 Webster]
•  A sharp angle in any surface of wainscoting or other woodwork; the upright sides which flank any paneled work, as the sides of windows, where the jamb makes an elbow with the window back.  Gwilt.  [1913 Webster]

  " Elbow is used adjectively or as part of a compound, to denote something shaped like, or acting like, an elbow; as, elbow joint; elbow tongs or elbow-tongs; elbowroom, elbow-room, or elbow room."  [1913 Webster]

At the elbow, very near; at hand. -- Elbow grease, energetic application of force in manual labor. [Low] -- Elbow in the hawse (Naut.), the twisting together of two cables by which a vessel rides at anchor, caused by swinging completely round once. Totten. -- Elbow scissors (Surg.), scissors bent in the blade or shank for convenience in cutting. Knight. -- Out at elbow, with coat worn through at the elbows; shabby; in needy circumstances.

elbow, v. t. 

 To push or hit with the elbow, as when one pushes by another.  [1913 Webster]
"They [the Dutch] would elbow our own aldermen off the Royal Exchange."  [1913 Webster]

To elbow one's way, to force one's way by pushing with the elbows; as, to elbow one's way through a crowd.

elbow, v. i. 

•  To jut into an angle; to project or to bend after the manner of an elbow.  [1913 Webster]
•  To push rudely along; to elbow one's way.  Grainger.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

elbow, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the joint between the forearm and the upper arm. b the part of the sleeve of a garment covering the elbow.
2 an elbow-shaped bend or corner; a short piece of piping bent through a right angle.
--v.tr. (foll. by in, out, aside, etc.)
1 thrust or jostle (a person or oneself).
2 make (one's way) by thrusting or jostling.

Idiom

at one's elbow close at hand. elbow-grease colloq. vigorous polishing; hard work. elbow-room plenty of room to move or work in. give a person the elbow colloq. send a person away; dismiss or reject a person. out at elbows
1 (of a coat) worn out.
2 (of a person) ragged, poor.

Etymology

OE elboga, elnboga, f. Gmc (as ELL, BOW(1))

THESAURUS

elbow

L, angle, angle off, ankle, apex, arm, articulation, assault, barge in, bear, bear upon, bend, biceps, bifurcate, bifurcation, bight, boost, boundary, branch, break in, break in upon, buck, bull, bulldoze, bump, bump against, bunt, burst in, butt, butt against, butt in, cant, cervix, charge in, chevron, clinch, closure, coin, come between, connecting link, connecting rod, connection, corner, coupling, cram, crank, crash, crash in, crash the gates, creep in, crook, crotchet, crowd, crowd in, cut in, deflection, dig, dogleg, dovetail, drive, edge in, elbow in, ell, embrace, encroach, entrench, foist in, force, forearm, fork, furcate, furcation, gliding joint, goad, hinge, hinged joint, hip, hook, horn in, hurtle, hustle, impinge, impose, impose on, impose upon, infiltrate, inflection, infringe, insinuate, interface, interfere, interlope, interpose, intervene, intrude, invade, irrupt, jab, jam, jog, joggle, join, joining, joint, jolt, jostle, juncture, knee, knuckle, link, miter, mortise, neck, nook, nudge, obtrude, pile drive, pivot, pivot joint, point, poke, press, press in, prod, punch, push, push in, put on, put upon, quoin, rabbet, ram, ram down, rattle, run, run against, rush in, scarf, seam, shake, shoulder, shove, slink in, slip in, smash in, sneak in, squeeze in, steal in, stitch, storm in, stress, suture, swerve, symphysis, tamp, throng in, thrust, thrust in, tie rod, toggle, toggle joint, trench, trespass, union, upper arm, veer, vertex, weld, work in, worm in, wrist, zag, zig, zigzag

ROGET THESAURUS

elbow

Angularity

N angularity, angularness, aduncity, angle, cusp, bend, fold, notch, fork, bifurcation, elbow, knee, knuckle, ankle, groin, crotch, crutch, crane, fluke, scythe, sickle, zigzag, kimbo, akimbo, corner, nook, recess, niche, oriel, coign, right angle, obliquity, angle of 45 degrees, miter, acute angle, obtuse angle, salient angle, reentering angle, spherical angle, angular measurement, angular elevation, angular distance, angular velocity, trigonometry, goniometry, altimetry, clinometer, graphometer, goniometer, theodolite, sextant, quadrant, dichotomy, triangle, trigon, wedge, rectangle, square, lozenge, diamond, rhomb, rhombus, quadrangle, quadrilateral, parallelogram, quadrature, polygon, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, oxygon, decagon, pyramid, cone, Platonic bodies, cube, rhomboid, tetrahedron, pentahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron, eicosahedron, prism, pyramid, parallelopiped, curb roof, gambrel roof, mansard roof, angular, bent, crooked, aduncous, uncinated, aquiline, jagged, serrated, falciform, falcated, furcated, forked, bifurcate, zigzag, furcular, hooked, dovetailed, knock kneed, crinkled, akimbo, kimbo, geniculated, oblique, fusiform, wedge-shaped, cuneiform, cuneate, multangular, oxygonal, triangular, trigonal, trilateral, quadrangular, quadrilateral, foursquare, rectangular, square, multilateral, polygonal, cubical, rhomboid, rhomboidal, pyramidal.

Convexity

N convexity, prominence, projection, swelling, gibbosity, bilge, bulge, protuberance, protrusion, camber, cahot, thank-ye-ma'am, swell, intumescence, tumour, tumor, tubercle, tuberosity, excrescence, hump, hunch, bunch, boss, embossment, hub, hubble, tooth, knob, elbow, process, apophysis, condyle, bulb, node, nodule, nodosity, tongue, dorsum, bump, clump, sugar loaf, bow, mamelon, molar, belly, corporation, pot belly, gut, withers, back, shoulder, lip, flange, pimple, zit, wen, wheel, papula, pustule, pock, proud flesh, growth, sarcoma, caruncle, corn, wart, pappiloma, furuncle, polypus, fungus, fungosity, exostosis, bleb, blister, blain, boil, airbubble, blob, papule, verruca, papilla, nipple, teat, tit, titty, boob, knocker, pap, breast, dug, mammilla, proboscis, nose, neb, beak, snout, nozzle, schnoz, peg, button, stud, ridge, rib, jutty, trunnion, snag, cupola, dome, arch, balcony, eaves, pilaster, relief, relievo, cameo, bassorilievo, mezzorilevo, altorivievo, low relief, bas relief, high relief, hill, cape, promontory, mull, forehead, foreland, point of land, mole, jetty, hummock, ledge, spur, naze, ness, convex, prominent, protuberant, projecting, bossed, embossed, bossy, nodular, bunchy, clavate, clavated, claviform, hummocky, moutonne, mammiliform, papulous, papilose, hemispheric, bulbous, bowed, arched, bold, bellied, tuberous, tuberculous, tumous, cornute, odontoid, lentiform, lenticular, gibbous, club shaped, hubby, hubbly, knobby, papillose, saddle-shaped, selliform, subclavate, torose, ventricose, verrucose, salient, in relief, raised, repousse, bloated, (expanded).

Fold

N 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, folded, fluted, pleated.

Impulse

VB flash on the mind, say what comes uppermost, improvise, extemporize, give an impetus, 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, strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash, punch, thwack, whack, hit hard, strike hard, swap, batter, dowse, baste, pelt, patter, buffet, belabor, fetch one a blow, poke at, pink, lunge, yerk, kick, calcitrate, butt, strike at, whip, come into a collision, enter into collision, collide, sideswipe, foul, fall foul of, run foul of, telescope, throw.