knee-jerk

knee-jerk

See also: kneejerk and knee jerk

English

Alternative forms

• kneejerk
• knee jerk

Etymology

knee +‎ jerk, First attested 1876, obviously derived from a figurative sense of the patellar reflex.

Adjective

knee-jerk (comparative more knee-jerk, superlative most knee-jerk)

1. Unthinking, not carefully considered, (nearly) automatic, spontaneous, easily predictable

   He gave a knee-jerk response.

Derived terms

• knee-jerkish
• knee-jerkishly
• knee-jerky

Translations

reacting unthinkingly or spontaneously in an expected manner

Dutch: voorspelbaar (nl) Finnish: selkäydin- (fi) (such as selkäydinreaktio) French: prévisible (fr)

German: reflexartig, vorhersehbar (de), automatisch (de) Icelandic: ósjálfráður (is) m Norwegian: forventet or forutsigelig or forutsigbar spontanreaksjon m

Noun

knee-jerk (plural knee-jerks)

1. A sudden reflexive movement of the leg below the knee, as a reaction to a tap to the tendon just below the patella (kneecap).

Synonyms

• kneejerk reflex
• patellar reflex

Translations

reflex extension of the lower leg due to tap below knee

Finnish: patellaarirefleksi, polviheijaste German: Kniereflex m, Kniesehnenreflex m, Patellarreflex m, Patellarsehnenreflex m, Kniephänomen n Icelandic: hnéviðbragð n, hnékippur m

Norwegian: knerefleks m, patellarefleks m Spanish: reflejo rotuliano m