noun

elbow

elbow

I bumped my elbow on the door.

I bumped my elbow on the door.

There's a sharp bend, like an elbow, in the pipe.

There's a sharp bend, like an elbow, in the pipe.

((one's)) elbow I bumped my elbow on the door.

Synonyms: joint, bend

From Old English 'elnboga', from 'eln' (forearm, ell) + 'boga' (bow, arch). Literally 'arm-bow'.

It's the 'bow' or bend in your arm. The 'el' part is related to an old unit of length, the 'ell', roughly the length of a forearm.

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