knockoff

or knock-off

[ nok-awf, -of ]

noun

1. an act or instance of knocking off.
2. an unlicensed copy of something, especially fashion clothing, intended to be sold at a lower price than the original.

Word History and Origins

Origin of knockoff¹

First recorded in 1870–75, for an earlier sense; noun use of verb phrase knock off

Example Sentences

There was a sense of shared recognition that scaling something that is new for the market that is really special and new, not not just another knockoff … It’s difficult and there’s going to be a lot of failure and it’s gonna be a lot of frustration.

From Time

A year of watching theater online had left me feeling as if I had been forever condemned to crave my favorite brand and had to settle for a knockoff.

From Washington Post

The aging, yellow brick residential Portsmouth Hotel sits among knockoff watch dealers here, while a block away, a giant construction crane hoists materials skyward for new luxury apartments.

From ProPublica

Chick-fil-AThe fast food chicken sandwich that launched a thousand knockoffs was an early favorite, “politics aside,” as Aaron said.

From Washington Post

The market is saturated with knockoffs, and that particular style doesn’t feel special anymore.

From Washington Post

But one former company insider says knockoff screws were mixed in with real ones.

From The Daily Beast

And it is nearly impossible to trace each knockoff to each patient or to confirm how many were affected.

From The Daily Beast

The money they spent on researching, designing, and marketing their goods is lost to a cheaper knockoff.

From The Daily Beast

In both word and deed, pro football serves as a culturally sanctioned knockoff of the military.

From The Daily Beast

I blogged earlier about The Knockoff Economy, and today the authors are talking about cookbooks.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• copy
• duplicate
• facsimile
• imitation
• replica
• reproduction