knee-jerk reaction
11Knee jerk — The reflex tested by tapping just below the knee causing the lower leg to suddenly jerk forward. What is tapped to elicit this reaction is the patellar tendon, the tendon that runs down from the quadriceps muscle in the front of the thigh, over… …
12knee-jerk — ADJ: ADJ n (disapproval) If you call someone s response to a question or situation a knee jerk reaction, you mean that they react in a very predictable way, without thinking. The knee jerk reaction to this is to call for proper security in all… …
13knee-jerk — noun an involuntary reflex kick caused by a blow on the tendon just below the knee. adjective automatic and unthinking: a knee jerk reaction …
14knee-jerk — adjective a knee jerk reaction, opinion etc is what you feel or say about a situation from habit, without thinking about it …
15knee-jerk — UK / US adjective [only before noun] a knee jerk reaction is immediate and not carefully considered …
16ˈknee-ˌjerk — adj a knee jerk reaction is immediate and not carefully considered …
17knee-jerk — ► NOUN ▪ an involuntary reflex kick caused by a blow on the tendon just below the knee. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ automatic and unthinking: a kneejerk reaction …
18a knee jerk reaction — Meaning An automatic response to something. Origin From the tendency of the knee to jerk involuntarily when hit sharply …
19knee jerk — noun a reflex extension of the leg resulting from a sharp tap on the patellar tendon • Syn: ↑knee jerk reflex, ↑patellar reflex • Hypernyms: ↑reflex, ↑reflex response, ↑reflex action, ↑instinctive reflex, ↑ …
20knee-jerk — n, adj (a person) displaying a reflex action, an unthinking, automatic reaction. This piece of American slang of the early 1970s has passed into general collo quial use since its adoption as part of disparaging descriptions such as knee jerk… …
