elbow

The word “elbow” means the joint connecting the upper arm to the forearm. In plain terms, the bendy joint in the middle of your arm, or, as a verb, to shove your way somewhere using it.

“Elbow” is pronounced EHL-boh (/ˈɛlboʊ̯/ in IPA).

Here is “elbow” used in a sentence: “He scraped his elbow when he fell off his bike.”

Depending on how it is used, “elbow” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “elbow” comes from Old English. From Old English elboga, a combination of words meaning "ell" (a unit of length, roughly forearm-sized) and "bow" (a bend).

“Elbow” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Elbow” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the joint connecting the upper arm to the forearm.

To elbow someone means to push them physically with your elbow, often forcefully, to get past them or claim space. To nudge is gentler and can be a light touch with any part of the body, or even a figurative prompt, so "elbow" implies more force and intent than "nudge."

"Elbow your way" describes pushing forcefully through a tightly packed crowd using your elbows to create space, often implying rudeness or determination. It is commonly used figuratively too, as in "elbow your way into a market," meaning to force entry into a competitive situation.

A pipe or road "elbow" gets its name because the sharp angled bend resembles the shape of a bent human arm at the elbow joint. Plumbers specifically use "elbow" as the technical term for an angled pipe fitting.