knockout

American  

[nok-out] / ˈnɒkˌaʊt /

noun

1. an act or instance of knocking out.

2. the state or fact of being knocked out.

3. a knockout blow.

4. Informal. a person or thing overwhelmingly attractive, appealing, or successful.

5. a panel in a casing, can, or box, especially of metal or plastic, so designed that it can readily be removed, as by punching, hammering, or cutting, to provide an opening into the interior.

   a knockout in a junction box.

6. Machinery. a device for knocking something loose, as finished work from a lathe chuck.

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adjective

1. that knocks out.

   the knockout punch.

knockout British  

/ ˈnɒkˌaʊt /

noun

1. the act of rendering unconscious

2. a blow that renders an opponent unconscious

3. 1. a competition in which competitors are eliminated progressively

   2. ( as modifier )

      a knockout contest

4. a series of absurd invented games, esp obstacle races, involving physical effort or skill

5. informal a person or thing that is overwhelmingly impressive or attractive

   she's a knockout

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verb

1. to render unconscious, esp by a blow

2. boxing to defeat (an opponent) by a knockout

3. to destroy, damage, or injure badly

4. to eliminate, esp in a knockout competition

5. informal to overwhelm or amaze, esp with admiration or favourable reaction

   I was knocked out by that new song

6. to remove the ashes from (one's pipe) by tapping

Etymology

Origin of knockout

1810–20; 1935–40 knockout for def. 4; noun, adj. use of verb phrase knock out

Example Sentences

However, Sri Lanka managed to scrape past the figure in 15.5 overs for the loss of five wickets which saw the Black Caps progress to the knockout phase.

From BBC

Dell reported a knockout quarter after the stock market closed on Thursday, driven by a strong demand for the company’s artificial intelligence servers.

From Barron's

Chelsea will play holders Paris St-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 while Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the knockout stages for a fifth straight season.

From BBC

"It's knockout football and we go into it with confidence. You see the supporters get into the stadium early and Selhurst was rocking tonight and we can make it a fortress."

From BBC

In just over 10 weeks, it will not be the managers talking but two heavyweight punchers in the ring, each boasting knockout ratios of 95%.

From BBC

Related Words

• technical knockout