noun
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an object, usually ornamental and made of metal, attached to a door by a hinge and used for knocking
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informal a person who finds fault or disparages
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slang (usually plural) a female breast
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a person or thing that knocks
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informal promptly; at once
you pay on the knocker here
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of knocker
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at knock, -er 1
Vocabulary lists containing knocker
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The site of the charred doors, with grilled peep hole and ancient heavy knocker, stirred no emotion in her.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
"Stay close to Troy or they gonna think you're a knocker."
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2021
“I’m a short knocker, but that Roberts hit the ball a mile. They knew they had the tournament in the bag, so they played like a couple of hackers on the 18th.”
From Golf Digest ● Apr. 21, 2020
From there, I was ushered into a small antechamber with a large door and a foreboding, old-school knocker.
From The Verge ● Dec. 5, 2018
An iron knocker hung on the front door, a squinting goblin with a ring in its mouth.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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Elphick said the vandals had removed two door knockers from the statue which were a nod to the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth which Jones had co-written.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
With both campaigns now turning to get-out-the-vote efforts, Caruso has spent about $13 million mustering about 300 to 400 door knockers who have fanned out across the city to remind voters about the election.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2022
But the door knockers didn’t explain where to vote or promote a candidate, the usual work of canvassers ahead of a big election.
From Reuters ● Nov. 3, 2022
As with replacing cabinet and drawer pulls in a kitchen, replacing door handles, hinges and knockers with new materials can give the front entry a freshened look.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 9, 2022
One wall held doors, windows, knockers, and knobs that promised views into other places and times.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.