Nearby Words
verb (used without object)
1.
to strike a sounding blow with the fist, knuckles, or anything hard, especially on a door, window, or the like, as in seeking admittance, calling attention, or giving a signal: to knock on the door before entering.
2.
to strike in collision; bump: He knocked into a table.
3.
to make a pounding noise: The engine of our car is knocking badly.
4.
Informal. to engage in trivial or carping criticism; find fault.
5.
Cards. to end a game, as in gin rummy, by laying down a hand in which those cards not included in sets total less than a specific amount.
verb (used with object)
6.
to give a sounding or forcible blow to; hit; strike; beat.
7.
to drive, force, or render by a blow or blows: to knock a man senseless.
8.
to make by striking a blow or blows: to knock a hole in the wall.
9.
to strike (a thing) against something else.
10.
EXPANDInformal. to criticize, especially in a carping manner: He's always knocking everything.
11.
COLLAPSEBritish Slang. to astound; impress greatly.
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Knock up
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
noun
Verb phrases12.
an act or instance of knocking.
13.
the sound of knocking, especially a rap, as at a door.
14.
a blow or thump.
15.
Informal. an adverse criticism.
16.
EXPANDthe noise resulting from faulty combustion or from incorrect functioning of some part of an internal-combustion engine.
17.
Cricket. an innings.
18.
COLLAPSEBritish Slang.
a.
one of a combination of dealers who bid together, rather than against each other, at an auction, and later resell the purchases among themselves.
b.
an auction at which this is done.
c.
the sale of merchandise recently obtained by a dealer at an auction.
19.
knock around/about, Informal.
a.
to wander aimlessly or idly; loaf.
b.
to mistreat (someone), especially physically.
c.
to jar; shake up.
20.
knock back, Slang. to drink (a beverage), especially quickly and heartily: He knocked back two shots of vodka.
21.
knock down,
a.
to sell at auction by a blow of the hammer or to a bidder.
b.
to take apart or disassemble, as for facility in handling, storing, shipping, etc.
c.
Slang. to receive, as a salary or a scholastic grade; earn: He knocks down 30 grand a year.
d.
Informal. to lower the price of; reduce: to knock down end-of-season leftovers.
e.
Slang. to embezzle or steal (money).
f.
to cause (a sailing vessel) to heel, as by a gust of wind, to such a degree that it cannot right itself.
22.
knock off,
a.
Informal. to cease activity, especially work: to knock off at five every day.
b.
to stop doing something; quit: Knock it off or you'll get into a mess.
c.
Slang. to dispose of; finish.
d.
Slang. to murder; kill.
e.
Slang. to die.
f.
Slang. to get rid of; reduce.
g.
Slang. to disable or defeat.
h.
Slang. to commit a robbery at; steal from: The gang knocked off a gas station.
i.
Nautical Slang. to blow the head (of a sailing vessel) off the wind.
j.
to imitate, copy, or plagiarize: to knock off designer dresses in cheap materials.
23.
EXPANDknock out,
a.
to defeat (an opponent) in a boxing match by striking such a blow that the opponent is unable to rise within the specified time.
b.
to render (a person) unconscious: Those sleeping pills knocked me out for ten hours.
c.
to make tired or exhausted: Christmas shopping always knocks me out.
d.
Informal. to produce quickly, hurriedly, or with ease: He knocks out two poems a day.
e.
to damage or destroy: The explosion knocked out the power for several hours.
f.
knock (def. 28).
24.
knock over,
a.
to strike (someone or something) from an erect to a prone position: to knock over a lamp.
b.
to distress; overcome: When the announcement came we were completely knocked over.
c.
Slang. to rob, burglarize, or hijack: He knocked over five banks.
25.
knock together, to make or construct in a hurry or with little attention to detail: He knocked together a couple of tables.
26.
COLLAPSEknock up,
a.
Slang. to make pregnant.
b.
to exhaust; weary; tire.
c.
to damage; mar: The children knocked up the new table.
d.
to injure; wound: He was afraid to come home from school all knocked up again.
e.
British. to wake up; rouse; call: He knocked us up before dawn.
27.
have it knocked, Slang. to be assured of success: With a government job, he thought he had it knocked.
28.
knock out of the box, Baseball. to cause a pitcher to be removed from the box because the pitcher has permitted too many hits to be made. Also, knock out.
29.
knock the/one's socks off, Informal. to have an overwhelming effect on: The song knocked the socks off the audience.
Origin:
before 1000; 1890–95 for def. 4; Middle English knokken, knoken (v.), Old English cnocian, cnucian; cognate with Old Norse knoka to thump, knock
before 1000; 1890–95 for def. 4; Middle English knokken, knoken (v.), Old English cnocian, cnucian; cognate with Old Norse knoka to thump, knock
Related forms
knock·less, adjective
re·knock, verb
un·knocked, adjective
un·knock·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To knock up
Collins
World English Dictionary
| knock up | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | informal Also: knock together to assemble quickly; improvise: to knock up a set of shelves |
| 2. | informal (Brit) to waken; rouse: to knock someone up early |
| 3. | slang to make pregnant |
| 4. | informal (Brit) to exhaust: the heavy work knocked him up |
| 5. | cricket to score (runs) |
| 6. | (intr) tennis, squash, badminton to practise or hit the ball about informally, esp before a match |
| —n | |
| 7. | a practice session at tennis, squash, or a similar game |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
knock
O.E. cnocian (W.Saxon cnucian), likely of imitative origin. Meaning "deprecate, put down" is from 1892. Knockoff "cheap imitation" is from 1966. Knock out "to stun by a blow for a 10-count" in boxing is short for to knock out of time; slang knockout "attractive person" is from 1892. To knock oneself
EXPAND out "make a great effort" is from 1936. Knock-kneed first attested 1774. Command knock it off "stop it" is first recorded 1902. Knocker "door banger" is from 1598; knockers "a woman's breasts" is from 1941. Knock up is 1663 in sense of "arouse by knocking at the door;" however it is little used in this sense in Amer.Eng., where the phrase means "get a woman pregnant" (1813), possibly ult. from knock "to copulate with" (1598; cf. slang knocking-shop "brothel," 1860).
COLLAPSE
"Knocked up in the United States, amongst females, the phrase is equivalent to being enciente, so that Englishmen often unconsciously commit themselves when amongst our Yankee cousins." [John Camden Hotten, "The Slang Dictionary," London, 1860]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
knock (so) up definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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knock (sth) off definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
knock up
-
Make pregnant, as in The young girl said she was afraid of getting knocked up. [Slang; early 1800s]
-
Injure or damage, as in This coffee table got all knocked up in the moving van.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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