"knee-deep" meaning in English

See knee-deep in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-knee-deep.wav
Etymology: From Middle English kne-depe; equivalent to knee + deep. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|kne-depe}} Middle English kne-depe, {{com|en|knee|deep|pos=adjective}} knee + deep Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} knee-deep (not comparable)
  1. Reaching up to the knees. Tags: not-comparable Translations (reaching up to the knees): tagatuhod (Cebuano), მუხლის სიმაღლე (muxlis simaɣle) (Georgian), knietief (German), hnédjúpur (Icelandic), по коле́но (po koléno) (Russian)
    Sense id: en-knee-deep-en-adj-I5kcDF9e Disambiguation of 'reaching up to the knees': 84 10 6
  2. Submerged to the knees. Tags: not-comparable
    Sense id: en-knee-deep-en-adj-nLfVfkwq
  3. (figuratively, by extension) Deeply involved in something, or preoccupied with something. Tags: broadly, figuratively, not-comparable Translations (deeply involved): fino al collo (Italian)
    Sense id: en-knee-deep-en-adj-L7~2nT99 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Cebuano translations, Terms with Georgian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 28 4 69 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 18 10 72 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 17 5 78 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 10 4 85 Disambiguation of Terms with Cebuano translations: 23 9 68 Disambiguation of Terms with Georgian translations: 24 9 66 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 23 10 67 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 23 10 67 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 22 7 72 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 22 7 72 Synonyms: elbow-deep, up to one's elbows, ;, waist-deep, ;, neck-deep, up to one's neck, ;, in the thick of it, ;, bogged down Disambiguation of 'deeply involved': 11 2 86
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: knee-deep in the Big Muddy Related terms: hands-on

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "knee-deep in the Big Muddy"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "kne-depe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English kne-depe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "knee",
        "3": "deep",
        "pos": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "knee + deep",
      "name": "com"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English kne-depe; equivalent to knee + deep.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "knee-deep (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "hands-on"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVI, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 277:",
          "text": "High above stood the ash-tree, its boughs covered with the toy-like bunches called \"locks and keys;\" and beyond spread the meadows, knee-deep with the verdant grass.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Reaching up to the knees."
      ],
      "id": "en-knee-deep-en-adj-I5kcDF9e",
      "links": [
        [
          "Reaching",
          "reach"
        ],
        [
          "knee",
          "knee"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "84 10 6",
          "code": "ceb",
          "lang": "Cebuano",
          "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
          "word": "tagatuhod"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 10 6",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "muxlis simaɣle",
          "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
          "word": "მუხლის სიმაღლე"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 10 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
          "word": "knietief"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 10 6",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
          "word": "hnédjúpur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 10 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "po koléno",
          "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
          "word": "по коле́но"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 241:",
          "text": "This gave me a hint, and I went knee-deep, and sometimes neck-deep, in the Red Weed. The density of the weed gave me a reassuring sense of hiding.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Submerged to the knees."
      ],
      "id": "en-knee-deep-en-adj-nLfVfkwq",
      "links": [
        [
          "Submerged",
          "submerged"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "28 4 69",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 10 72",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 5 78",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 4 85",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 9 68",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Cebuano translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 9 66",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Georgian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 10 67",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 10 67",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Icelandic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 7 72",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 7 72",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Katherine D. Jones, Dangerous Dilemmas, Brooklyn, N.Y.: Noire Passion, Parker Publishing, LLC, →ISBN, page 113:",
          "text": "By the time Tracey arrived, Kayla was working on her second cup of café mocha and knee-deep in paperwork.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan, “What is... jealousy?”, in Let's Talk About It, →ISBN, page 191:",
          "text": "When you're knee-deep in these insecure feelings, it can be hard to see clearly.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Deeply involved in something, or preoccupied with something."
      ],
      "id": "en-knee-deep-en-adj-L7~2nT99",
      "links": [
        [
          "Deeply",
          "deeply"
        ],
        [
          "involved",
          "involved"
        ],
        [
          "preoccupied",
          "preoccupied"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, by extension) Deeply involved in something, or preoccupied with something."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "elbow-deep"
        },
        {
          "word": "up to one's elbows"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "waist-deep"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "neck-deep"
        },
        {
          "word": "up to one's neck"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "in the thick of it"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "bogged down"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "figuratively",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "11 2 86",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "deeply involved",
          "word": "fino al collo"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-knee-deep.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e9/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-knee-deep.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-knee-deep.wav.mp3",
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  "word": "knee-deep"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English compound adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Cebuano translations",
    "Terms with Georgian translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "knee-deep in the Big Muddy"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "kne-depe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English kne-depe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "knee",
        "3": "deep",
        "pos": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "knee + deep",
      "name": "com"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English kne-depe; equivalent to knee + deep.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "knee-deep (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "hands-on"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVI, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 277:",
          "text": "High above stood the ash-tree, its boughs covered with the toy-like bunches called \"locks and keys;\" and beyond spread the meadows, knee-deep with the verdant grass.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Reaching up to the knees."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Reaching",
          "reach"
        ],
        [
          "knee",
          "knee"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 241:",
          "text": "This gave me a hint, and I went knee-deep, and sometimes neck-deep, in the Red Weed. The density of the weed gave me a reassuring sense of hiding.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Submerged to the knees."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Submerged",
          "submerged"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Katherine D. Jones, Dangerous Dilemmas, Brooklyn, N.Y.: Noire Passion, Parker Publishing, LLC, →ISBN, page 113:",
          "text": "By the time Tracey arrived, Kayla was working on her second cup of café mocha and knee-deep in paperwork.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan, “What is... jealousy?”, in Let's Talk About It, →ISBN, page 191:",
          "text": "When you're knee-deep in these insecure feelings, it can be hard to see clearly.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Deeply involved in something, or preoccupied with something."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Deeply",
          "deeply"
        ],
        [
          "involved",
          "involved"
        ],
        [
          "preoccupied",
          "preoccupied"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, by extension) Deeply involved in something, or preoccupied with something."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "elbow-deep"
        },
        {
          "word": "up to one's elbows"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "waist-deep"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "neck-deep"
        },
        {
          "word": "up to one's neck"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "in the thick of it"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "bogged down"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "figuratively",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
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  "sounds": [
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    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ceb",
      "lang": "Cebuano",
      "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
      "word": "tagatuhod"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "muxlis simaɣle",
      "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
      "word": "მუხლის სიმაღლე"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
      "word": "knietief"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
      "word": "hnédjúpur"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "po koléno",
      "sense": "reaching up to the knees",
      "word": "по коле́но"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "deeply involved",
      "word": "fino al collo"
    }
  ],
  "word": "knee-deep"
}

Download raw JSONL data for knee-deep meaning in English (4.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.