'genuflect' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'genuflectere,' where 'genu' meant 'knee' and 'flectere' meant 'to bend.'

'genuflectere' transformed into the French word 'génuflecter,' and eventually became the modern English word 'genuflect' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to bend the knee,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.