cypress knee

American  

noun

1. one of the woody growths that project above water from the roots of the bald cypress.

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Etymology

Origin of cypress knee

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Example Sentences

He was about five feet seven, but as tough as a cypress knee.

From Roads of Destiny by Henry, O.

The cypress knee, out of which Woodley and Heywood “gouged” the smooth-bore bullet, is also examined, its position noted.

From The Death Shot A Story Retold by Reid, Mayne

A rude block,—a cypress knee that had been carried there—formed, the only substitute for a chair, and there was nothing to serve for a table.

From The Quadroon Adventures in the Far West by Reid, Mayne