knockabout

[nok-uh-bout]

noun

1. Nautical.,  any of various fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessels having a single jib bent to a stay from the stemhead, no bowsprit being used: usually rigged as a sloop.

2. something designed or suitable for rough or casual use, as a sturdy jacket, a secondhand car, etc.

3. a slapstick comedian or comedy.

4. Australian.,  an itinerant farm hand or ranch hand; an itinerant handyman.

5. British Archaic.,  wanderer.

adjective

1. suitable for rough use, as a garment.

   a knockabout jacket and jeans.

2. characterized by knocking about; rough; boisterous.

3. slapstick.

   knockabout comedy.

4. shiftless; aimless.

   a knockabout kind of person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of knockabout¹

First recorded in 1875–80; noun, adj. use of verb phrase knock about

Example Sentences

There has been great analysis and the usual knockabout stuff that is essential to Calcutta Cup week, but the hot takes in the build-up have bordered on the barmy.

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The Queen, a fan of the sport, joined teenagers for an impromptu knockabout during a day of meetings, entertainment and activities.

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It’s sweet and serious, and as the series goes on, knockabout comedy makes room for poignancy.

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Prince Harry has appeared in a knockabout comedy sketch about getting a tattoo, as he promotes the next round of his Invictus Games.

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The members of the controversial rap group Kneecap play themselves in a witty knockabout comedy, a Sundance hit, that tells the tale of their ongoing rise.

Read more on Los Angeles Times