technical knockout

American

noun

Boxing.

the termination of a bout by the referee when it is the judgment of the attending physician, a boxer's seconds, or the referee that a boxer cannot continue fighting without sustaining severe or disabling injury. TKO, T.K.O.

technical knockout British

noun

boxing a judgment of a knockout given when a boxer is in the referee's opinion too badly beaten to continue without risk of serious injury

"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

Etymology

Origin of technical knockout

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

Britain's Chris Billam-Smith marked Zuffa Boxing's UK debut show with a gritty performance to beat Ryan Rozicki by technical knockout after seven gruelling rounds in Bournemouth.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Also on the main card, rising Frenchman Benoit Saint Denis pummelled New Zealand's Dan Hooker with a second round technical knockout in the lightweight.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

His last UFC fight was a loss by technical knockout to Dustin Poirier in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2024

In approving terms for fights, the department’s combative sports staff considers, among other factors, each contestant’s age, medical tests, win-loss record and losses by knockout or technical knockout.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

"Funiculi funicula Vincente y Blasco Ibanez vermicelli sul campo della gloria risotto!" said the second waiter clinchingly, and scored a technical knockout.

From The Adventures of Sally by Wodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023