- 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.
- to strike in collision; bump: He knocked into a table.
- to make a pounding noise: The engine of our car is knocking badly.
- to engage in trivial or carping criticism; find fault.
- 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.
- to give a sounding or forcible blow to; hit; strike; beat.
- to drive, force, or render by a blow or blows: to knock a man senseless.
- to make by striking a blow or blows: to knock a hole in the wall.
- to strike (a thing) against something else.
- to criticize, especially in a carping manner: He's always knocking everything.
- to astound; impress greatly.
- an act or instance of knocking.
- the sound of knocking, especially a rap, as at a door.
- a blow or thump.
- an adverse criticism.
- the noise resulting from faulty combustion or from incorrect functioning of some part of an internal-combustion engine.
- an innings.
- British Slang.
- one of a combination of dealers who bid together, rather than against each other, at an auction, and later resell the purchases among themselves.
- an auction at which this is done.
- the sale of merchandise recently obtained by a dealer at an auction.
- knock around / about Informal.
- to wander aimlessly or idly; loaf.
- to mistreat (someone), especially physically.
- to jar; shake up.
- to drink (a beverage), especially quickly and heartily: He knocked back two shots of vodka.
- knock down,
- to sell at auction by a blow of the hammer or to a bidder.
- to take apart or disassemble, as for facility in handling, storing, shipping, etc.
- to receive, as a salary or a scholastic grade; earn: He knocks down 30 grand a year.
- to lower the price of; reduce: to knock down end-of-season leftovers.
- to embezzle or steal (money).
- to cause (a sailing vessel) to heel, as by a gust of wind, to such a degree that it cannot right itself.
- knock off,
- to cease activity, especially work: to knock off at five every day.
- to stop doing something; quit: Knock it off or you'll get into a mess.
- to dispose of; finish.
- to murder; kill.
- to die.
- to get rid of; reduce.
- to disable or defeat.
- to commit a robbery at; steal from: The gang knocked off a gas station.
- to blow the head (of a sailing vessel) off the wind.
- to imitate, copy, or plagiarize: to knock off designer dresses in cheap materials.
- knock out,
- to defeat (an opponent) in a boxing match by striking such a blow that the opponent is unable to rise within the specified time.
- to render (a person) unconscious: Those sleeping pills knocked me out for ten hours.
- to make tired or exhausted: Christmas shopping always knocks me out.
- to produce quickly, hurriedly, or with ease: He knocks out two poems a day.
- to damage or destroy: The explosion knocked out the power for several hours.
- knock (def. 28).
- knock over,
- to strike (someone or something) from an erect to a prone position: to knock over a lamp.
- to distress; overcome: When the announcement came we were completely knocked over.
- to rob, burglarize, or hijack: He knocked over five banks.
- to make or construct in a hurry or with little attention to detail: He knocked together a couple of tables.
- knock up,
- to make pregnant.
- to exhaust; weary; tire.
- to damage; mar: The children knocked up the new table.
- to injure; wound: He was afraid to come home from school all knocked up again.
- to wake up; rouse; call: He knocked us up before dawn.
- to be assured of success: With a government job, he thought he had it knocked.
- to cause a pitcher to be removed from the box because the pitcher has permitted too many hits to be made.
- to have an overwhelming effect on: The song knocked the socks off the audience.
- to give a blow or push to; strike
- to rap sharply with the knuckles, a hard object, etc, esp to capture attention
- to make or force by striking
- to collide (with)
- to bring into a certain condition by hitting or pushing
- to criticize adversely; belittle
- (of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a characteristic metallic noise as a result of faulty combustion
- (of a bearing, esp one in an engine) to emit a regular characteristic sound as a result of wear
- to have sexual intercourse with (a person)
- to hit a person with a very heavy blow
- to have a violent or unpleasant encounter with (adverse facts or circumstances)
- knock on the head
- to daze or kill (a person) by striking on the head
- effectively to prevent the further development of (a plan)
- a blow, push, or rap
- the sound so caused
- the sound of knocking in an engine or bearing
- a misfortune, rebuff, or setback
- unfavourable criticism
- (in cricket) an innings or a spell of batting
