kneecapping

See also: knee-capping

English

Noun

kneecapping (countable and uncountable, plural kneecappings)

  1. The act of injuring the knees of (a person), usually by shooting at the knees; often a punishment carried out by criminals or terrorists.
    The mafiosi punished the informer by giving him a kneecapping.
    Five kneecappings have been reported this month.

Usage notes
  • This term is considered a misnomer by medical professionals because only a very small minority of victims suffer damage to the kneecap.
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