To kneecap someone is to shoot them in the knee on purpose — not to kill them, but to punish them and leave them badly hurt. It is unofficial: not a court, not the police. Paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland became notorious for it; gangs elsewhere have done it too. Newspapers still use the word for that kind of street punishment.

To kneecap someonekneecap某人 is to shoot them in the knee on purpose是指故意射擊他們的膝蓋 not to kill them不是要殺死他們 but to punish them and leave them badly hurt而是要懲罰他們，讓他們身受重傷 It is unofficial這是非正式的 not a court, not the police不是法庭，也不是警察 Paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland became notorious for it北愛爾蘭的準軍事組織因此惡名昭彰 gangs elsewhere have done it too其他地方的幫派也做過同樣的事 Newspapers still use the word for that kind of street punishment報紙現在還是用這個字指這種街頭私刑

Though actually the shot does not always hit the kneecap bone itself; the point is to wreck the leg as a warning. People sometimes stretch the verb in politics or jokes to mean 'disable' or 'hobble' a plan, but the real meaning is a violent attack on the knee.

Though actually the shot does not always hit the kneecap bone itself不過其實，這一槍不一定真的打中膝蓋骨本身 the point is to wreck the leg as a warning重點是把腿弄殘廢，作為一種警告 People sometimes stretch the verb in politics or jokes人們有時候會在政治或玩笑裡延伸這個動詞 to mean 'disable' or 'hobble' a plan指讓一個計畫「失能」或「跛腳」 but the real meaning is a violent attack on the knee但真正的意思是對膝蓋的暴力攻擊

Informal in tone; the act is brutal. The noun kneecap is simply the bone at the front of your knee; this entry is the darker verb that grew from that.

Informal in tone語氣上算口語 the act is brutal但這個行為本身很殘暴 The noun kneecap is simply the bone at the front of your knee名詞kneecap單純是指膝蓋前方的那塊骨頭 this entry is the darker verb that grew from that這個詞條講的則是由此衍生出的、比較黑暗的動詞用法