Meanings
plural kneelers
- A person who kneels.
All the kneelers sighed with relief when they were told it was over and they could finally stand up.
- A hassock.
The parish deacon was always pushing to get new kneelers for the church, probably because he was old and his knees were sensitive.
2 more examples
The benches are scuffed Victorian, and lying on them are sets of kneelers embroidered by parishioners.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 207He bowed his head and began to say a prayer, but interrupted himself — touching his lover's beard, then his hands for the last time. His crying was now audible as the undertaker helped him from the kneeler and back to his seat.
1986, Craig G. Harris, “Cut Off from Among Their People”, in Joseph Beam, editor, In The Life: A Black Gay Anthology, page 66 - An apparatus that permits the loading door of a bus to decrease in height in order to facilitate boarding of passengers that are seniors and physically disadvantaged
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOn a gable end, the stone (often decorated) at the base of the slope of the gable on either side.
Origin
- Middle Englishknelere
- Englishkneeler
From Middle English knelere, equivalent to kneel + -er.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech klečící
- klečícíperson
Finnish polvistuja, polvistumispenkki
- polvistujaperson
- polvistumispenkkihassock
German Kniebank
- Kniebankhassock
Hungarian térdelő, térdepelő
- térdelőperson
- térdepelőperson
- térdeplőperson
- térdeplőhassock
- imazsámolyhassock
Cite this entry
kneeler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kneeler
“kneeler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kneeler. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kneeler,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kneeler.
Source: kneeler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.