At one’s elbow

the bend or joint of the human arm between upper arm and forearm.
the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped.
something bent like an elbow, as a sharp turn in a road or river, or a piece of pipe bent at an angle.
architecture, .
also called ell, el. a plumbing pipe or pipe connection having a right-angled bend.
to push with or as if with the elbow; jostle.
to make (one’s way) by so pushing.
to elbow one’s way:
he elbowed through the crowd.
at one’s elbow, within easy reach; nearby:
a virtue of the cottage is that the ocean is at your elbow.
bend / lift / crook an elbow, informal. to drink alcoholic beverages.
give the elbow, shove aside, get rid of, or reject.
out at the elbows,

poorly dressed; shabby.
impoverished.

also, out at elbows.
rub elbows with, to mingle socially with; -ssociate with:
a resort where royalty rubs elbows with the merely rich.
up to one’s elbows, very busy; engrossed:
i am up to my elbows in answering mail.
also, up to the elbows.
noun
the joint between the upper arm and the forearm, formed by the junction of the radius and ulna with the humerus
the corresponding joint or bone of birds or mammals
the part of a garment that covers the elbow
something resembling an elbow, such as a sharp bend in a road or river
at one’s elbow, within easy reach
out at elbow, out at elbows, ragged or impoverished
up to the elbows with, up to the elbows in, busily occupied with; deeply immersed in
verb
(transitive) to reject; dismiss. also: give the elbow
to make (one’s way) by shoving, jostling, etc
(transitive) to knock or shove with or as if with the elbow
n.

c.1200, elbowe, from old english elnboga, from ell “length of the forearm” + boga “bow, arch,” from west germanic -alin-bogan, from proto-germanic -elino-bugon, literally “bend of the forearm” (cf. middle dutch ellenboghe, dutch elleboog, old high german elinbogo, german ellenbogen, old norse ölnbogi).

second element related to old english bugan “to bend” (see bow (v.)); first element from -alina “arm,” from pie -el- (1) “elbow, forearm” (see ell (n.1)). phrase elbow grease “hard rubbing” is attested from 1670s, from jocular sense of “the best substance for polishing furniture.” elbow room attested from mid-16c.
v.

“thrust with the elbow,” c.1600, from elbow (n.). figurative sense is from 1863. related: elbowed; elbowing.

elbow el·bow (ěl’bō’)
n.

the joint or bend of the arm between the forearm and the upper arm. also called cubitus.

the bony outer projection of this joint.

something having a bend or an angle similar to an elbow.

noun

a police officer or detective

verb

to -ssociate with someone as a friend; rub elbows

related terms

bend the elbow, not know one’s -ss from one’s elbow, rub elbows

elbow grease
elbow room

also see:

at someone’s elbow
crook one’s elbow
out at the elbows
rub elbows with