knock

[ nok ]

/ nɒk /

Save This Word!

verb (used without object)

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.

Informal. to engage in trivial or carping criticism; find fault.

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)

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.

Informal. to criticize, especially in a carping manner: He's always knocking everything.

British Slang. to astound; impress greatly.

noun

an act or instance of knocking.

the sound of knocking, especially a rap, as at a door.

a blow or thump.

Informal. an adverse criticism.

the noise resulting from faulty combustion or from incorrect functioning of some part of an internal-combustion engine.

Cricket. 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.

Verb Phrases

knock around / about Informal.

to wander aimlessly or idly; loaf.
to mistreat (someone), especially physically.
to jar; shake up.

knock back, Slang. 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.
Slang. to receive, as a salary or a scholastic grade; earn: He knocks down 30 grand a year.
Informal. to lower the price of; reduce: to knock down end-of-season leftovers.
Slang. 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,

Informal. 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.
Slang. to dispose of; finish.
Slang. to murder; kill.
Slang. to die.
Slang. to get rid of; reduce.
Slang. to disable or defeat.
Slang. to commit a robbery at; steal from: The gang knocked off a gas station.
Nautical Slang. 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.
Informal. 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.
Slang. to rob, burglarize, or hijack: He knocked over five banks.

knock together, to make or construct in a hurry or with little attention to detail: He knocked together a couple of tables.

knock up,

Slang. 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.
British. to wake up; rouse; call: He knocked us up before dawn.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!

Question 1 of 7

Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?

First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.

First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.

First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar Coach

Improve Your Writing

Idioms for knock

have it knocked, Slang. to be assured of success: With a government job, he thought he had it knocked.

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.

knock the / one's socks off, Informal. to have an overwhelming effect on: The song knocked the socks off the audience.

Origin of knock

First recorded before 1000; 1890–95 for def. 4; Middle English knokken, knoken (verb), Old English cnocian, cnucian; cognate with Old Norse knoka “to thump, knock”

synonym study for knock

1. See strike.

OTHER WORDS FROM knock

knockless, adjectivere·knock, verbun·knocked, adjectiveun·knock·ing, adjective

Words nearby knock

knobcone pine, knobhead, knobkerrie, knob latch, knob lock, knock, knockabout, knock back, knock cold, knock dead, knockdown

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of knock?

Knock is a verb that means to hit something by bumping into it. Knock also means to repeatedly strike something to make a noise. Knock is used as a noun to mean a sound made by repeated tapping. Knock has many other senses as a verb and a noun. It is also used in several idioms.

Knock means to strike something by bumping into it or colliding with it. This sense of knock is often followed by what was bumped into (knocked onto the floor).

Real-life examples: In bowling, the goal is to knock down all of the pins with a bowling ball. In boxing, the competitors repeatedly knock each other in the head and body with their fists. It is difficult to build a house of cards without accidentally knocking it over.
Used in a sentence: Shawna wasn’t paying attention and accidentally knocked over a stack of boxes.

When you knock on a door, you hit it with your knuckles, fist, or an object, like a door knocker, usually repeatedly. You might knock on a door or window to get someone’s attention or to signal to them that you want to be let inside (or out!).

Used in a sentence: He knocked on the wall with his umbrella to get everyone’s attention.

In a related sense, a knock is the noise you make when you hit something, like a door or window, to get someone’s attention.

Used in a sentence: I think you have a visitor because I heard a knock at the door.

The word knock is used in several idioms. For example, if someone “knocks your socks off,” it means they have a positive, overwhelming effect on you.

Where does knock come from?

The first records of knock come before the year 1000. It comes from the Old English cnocian and is related to the Old Norse verb knoka, meaning “to thump.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to knock?

knocker (noun)
knockless (adjective)
reknock (verb)
unknocked (adjective)
unknocking (adjective)

What are some synonyms for knock?

What are some words that share a root or word element with knock?

What are some words that often get used in discussing knock?

How is knock used in real life?

Knock is a common word that often means to tap something with your knuckles or to bump into something.

A man just randomly knocked on my door and asked me for money. Then he walked off and didn't knock on anyone else's door on my street.

— Seth Worley (@Awakeland3D) September 24, 2009

Pulled my calf muscle while trying to catch a lamp that my scamp of a cat knocked over.

Yeah. It’s going to be one of *those* days, isn’t it…

— Neil Grayston (@neilgrayston) January 17, 2021

A lightning strike has knocked a tree down onto a two-storey house at 159 Stewart St. around 7:30 p.m.

— PeterboroughExaminer (@PtboExaminer) June 8, 2011

Try using knock!

Is knock used correctly in the following sentence?

The cat knocked the pitcher off the table, and it smashed against the floor.

Example sentences from the Web for knock

It was midnight 14 years ago Friday when Tim Kaine answered a knock on the door in his Tokyo hotel room.
Sens. Kaine and Warner want to make Virginia’s gun restrictions go national|Meagan Flynn|April 15, 2021|Washington Post
The most worrisome cases are still the ones where a knock on the door yields no answer, or when the address belongs to an abandoned home.
Unprecedented numbers of students have disappeared during the pandemic. Schools are working harder than ever to find them.|Moriah Balingit|February 26, 2021|Washington Post
This courageous act earned him a late-night knock on the door with orders for Serna to vamos from Cuba.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the back of my mind I was wondering how much time we had before there might be an ominous knock at the door.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I was writing Lorrie Moore knock-off short stories before I switched to nonfiction.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life|David Yaffe|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, we had the 13 dwarves to deal with, but at least in this movie we get to knock a couple off, which is a relief.
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth|Alex Suskind|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But hey, if you want to take on Cosby for telling you to stay in school, knock yourself out.
When Your Comic Hero Is an Alleged Rapist|Doug McIntyre|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If the Turks get hold of a lot of fresh men and throw them upon us during the night,—perhaps they may knock us off into the sea.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
There was no response to the knock, and Davy cautiously pushed open the door and went in.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Captain Lovelock got up as well; Bernard heard him knock over his little gilded chair.
Confidence|Henry James
“I think it is a knock at the door,” said Mr. Pickwick, as if there could be the smallest doubt of the fact!
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
But a knock at the door interrupted them; the discreet Capt entered, bearing a telegram upon a salver.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for knock

knock

/ (nɒk) /

verb

(tr) to give a blow or push to; strike

(intr) to rap sharply with the knuckles, a hard object, etc, esp to capture attentionto knock at the door

(tr) to make or force by strikingto knock a hole in the wall

(intr usually foll by against) to collide (with)

(tr) to bring into a certain condition by hitting or pushingto knock someone unconscious

(tr) informal to criticize adversely; belittleto knock someone's work

Also: pink (intr) (of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a characteristic metallic noise as a result of faulty combustion

(intr) (of a bearing, esp one in an engine) to emit a regular characteristic sound as a result of wear

British slang to have sexual intercourse with (a person)

knock a person into the middle of next week informal to hit a person with a very heavy blow

knock one's head against 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)

noun

a blow, push, or raphe gave the table a knock
the sound so caused

the sound of knocking in an engine or bearing

informal a misfortune, rebuff, or setback

informal unfavourable criticism

informal (in cricket) an innings or a spell of batting

Word Origin for knock

Old English cnocian, of imitative origin; related to Old Norse knoka to hit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with knock

knock

In addition to the idioms beginning with knock

knock about
knock back
knock cold
knock dead
knock down
knock down with a feather
knock for a loop
knock into a cocked hat
knock it off
knock off
knock oneself out
knock on wood
knock out
knock over
knock over with a feather
knock someone's block off
knock someone's socks off
knock the bottom out of
knock the living daylights out of
knock the socks off
knock together
knock up

also see:

beat (knock) into someone's head
beat (knock) the living daylights out of
(knock) down to size
(knock) off someone's feet
school of hard knocks

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

knock

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Verb Phrases

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Meet Grammar Coach

Meet Grammar Coach

Idioms for knock

Origin of knock

synonym study for knock

OTHER WORDS FROM knock

Words nearby knock

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of knock?

Where does knock come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is knock used in real life?

Try using knock!

Example sentences from the Web for knock

British Dictionary definitions for knock

verb

noun

Word Origin for knock

Idioms and Phrases with knock

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

knock

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Verb Phrases

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Meet Grammar Coach

Meet Grammar Coach

Idioms for knock

Origin of knock

synonym study for knock

OTHER WORDS FROM knock

Words nearby knock

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of knock?

Where does knock come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is knock used in real life?

Try using knock!

Words related to knock

Example sentences from the Web for knock

British Dictionary definitions for knock

verb

noun

Word Origin for knock

Idioms and Phrases with knock