knockoff

or knock-off

[nok-awf, -of]

See more synonyms for knockoff on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

Origin of knockoff

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for knockoff

photograph, effigy, image, depiction, replica, facsimile, reproduction, portrait, picture, figure, copy, painting, exemption, rebate, deduction, decrease, premium, concession, allowance, replication

Examples from the Web for knockoff

Contemporary Examples of knockoff

But one former company insider says knockoff screws were mixed in with real ones.
Patients Screwed in Spine Surgery ‘Scam’
The Center for Investigative Reporting
November 3, 2014
I blogged earlier about The Knockoff Economy, and today the authors are talking about cookbooks.
Food Friday: Why Do We Buy Cookbooks?
Megan McArdle
October 19, 2012
Reprinted from THE KNOCKOFF ECONOMY: How Imitation Sparks Innovation with permission from Oxford University Press, Inc.
In ‘The Knockoff Economy,’ The Upside to Ripping Off Others’ Ideas
Kal Raustiala, Christopher Sprigman
September 8, 2012
These industries show us the ways in which innovation can continue to thrive in a knockoff world.
In ‘The Knockoff Economy,’ The Upside to Ripping Off Others’ Ideas
Kal Raustiala, Christopher Sprigman
September 8, 2012

Word Origin and History for knockoff

n.

"cheap imitation," 1966, from the verbal phrase knock off "do hastily;" in reference to the casual way the things are made.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper