knock
♦ knock /n'ɒk/ (knocks knocking knocked)
1 [VERB] V on/at n, V
If you knock on something such as a door or window, you hit it, usually several times, to attract someone's attention.
She went directly to Simon's apartment and knocked on the door...
He knocked before going in.
[N-COUNT]
Knock is also a noun.
They heard a knock at the front door.
● knocking [N-SING] also no det
They were wakened by a loud knocking at the door.
2 [VERB] V n prep, V n with adv
If you knock something, you touch or hit it roughly, especially so that it falls or moves.
She accidentally knocked the tea tin off the shelf...
Isabel rose so abruptly that she knocked down her chair...
[N-COUNT]
Knock is also a noun.
The bags have tough exterior materials to protect against knocks, rain and dust.
3 [VERB] V pl-n into n, V pl-n with together
If someone knocks two rooms or buildings into one, or knocks them together, they make them form one room or building by removing a wall.
They decided to knock the two rooms into one...
The spacious kitchen was achieved by knocking together three small rooms.
4 [VERB] V n prep/adv, V n adj
To knock someone into a particular position or condition means to hit them very hard so that they fall over or become unconscious.
The third wave was so strong it knocked me backwards...
Someone had knocked him unconscious.
5 [VERB] no cont, V n out of n, V n
To knock a particular quality or characteristic out of someone means to make them lose it.
The stories of his links with the actress had knocked the fun out of him...
Those people hurt me and knocked my confidence.
6 [VERB] V n
If you knock something or someone, you criticize them and say unpleasant things about them. (INFORMAL)
I'm not knocking them: if they want to do it, it's up to them...
7 [N-COUNT]
If someone receives a knock, they have an unpleasant experience which prevents them from achieving something or which causes them to change their attitudes or plans.
What they said was a real knock to my self-confidence...
= blow
8
to knock something on the head: see head
to knock someone or something into shape: see shapeknock about
see knock aroundknock around
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If someone knocks you around or knocks you about, they hit or kick you several times. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
He lied to me constantly and started knocking me around.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P prep/adv, V P n
If someone knocks around or knocks about somewhere, they spend time there, experiencing different situations or just passing time.
...reporters who knock around in troubled parts of the world...
I know nothing about him except that he knocked about South Africa for a while.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] only cont, V P
If someone or something is knocking around or knocking about, they are present in a particular place. (mainly BRIT)
There were a couple of decent kits knocking around, but this wasn't one of them!...
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P with n, pl-n V P together
If you knock around or knock about with someone, you spend your spare time with them, either because you are one of their friends or because you are their boyfriend or girlfriend. (mainly BRIT)
I used to knock about with all the lads from round where Mum lives...
They were knocking around together for about a year.
= hang aroundknock back
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you knock back a drink, especially an alcoholic one, you drink it quickly, and often in large amounts. (INFORMAL)
He was knocking back his 10th gin and tonic of the day...
She poured some vodka into a glass and knocked it back in two swallows.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If an event, situation, or person knocks you back, they prevent you from progressing or achieving something. (mainly BRIT)
It seemed as though every time we got rolling something came along to knock us back...
That really knocked back any hope for further peace negotiations.
= set backknock down
1 [PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V P n (not pron), V n P
If someone is knocked down or is knocked over by a vehicle or its driver, they are hit by a car and fall to the ground, and are often injured or killed.
He died in hospital after being knocked down by a car...
A drunk driver knocked down and killed two girls...
A car knocked him over.
= run over
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
To knock down a building or part of a building means to demolish it.
Why doesn't he just knock the wall down?...
They have since knocked down the shack.
= pull down
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
To knock down a price or amount means to decrease it. (mainly AM; in BRIT, usually use bring down)
The market might abandon the stock, and knock down its price...
It manages to knock rents down to $1 per square foot.knock off
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V amount P n, V P amount
To knock off an amount from a price, time, or level means to reduce it by that amount.
Udinese have knocked 10% off admission prices...
When pressed they knock off 10 per cent.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P n, also V n P
If you knock something off a list or document, you remove it.
Tighter rules for benefit entitlement have knocked many people off the unemployment register.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
When you knock off, you finish work at the end of the day or before a break. (INFORMAL)
If I get this report finished I'll knock off early...knock out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V n P, also V P n (not pron)
To knock someone out means to cause them to become unconscious or to go to sleep.
The three drinks knocked him out...
He had never been knocked out in a professional fight.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V n P of n, also V P n
If a person or team is knocked out of a competition, they are defeated in a game, so that they take no more part in the competition.
Henri Leconte has been knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Geneva Open...
The Irish came so close to knocking England out of the European Championships.
see also knockout
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If something is knocked out by enemy action or bad weather, it is destroyed or stops functioning because of it.
Our bombers have knocked out the mobile launchers...knock over
see knock down 1
1 [VERB] V on/at n, V
If you knock on something such as a door or window, you hit it, usually several times, to attract someone's attention.
She went directly to Simon's apartment and knocked on the door...
He knocked before going in.
[N-COUNT]
Knock is also a noun.
They heard a knock at the front door.
● knocking [N-SING] also no det
They were wakened by a loud knocking at the door.
2 [VERB] V n prep, V n with adv
If you knock something, you touch or hit it roughly, especially so that it falls or moves.
She accidentally knocked the tea tin off the shelf...
Isabel rose so abruptly that she knocked down her chair...
[N-COUNT]
Knock is also a noun.
The bags have tough exterior materials to protect against knocks, rain and dust.
3 [VERB] V pl-n into n, V pl-n with together
If someone knocks two rooms or buildings into one, or knocks them together, they make them form one room or building by removing a wall.
They decided to knock the two rooms into one...
The spacious kitchen was achieved by knocking together three small rooms.
4 [VERB] V n prep/adv, V n adj
To knock someone into a particular position or condition means to hit them very hard so that they fall over or become unconscious.
The third wave was so strong it knocked me backwards...
Someone had knocked him unconscious.
5 [VERB] no cont, V n out of n, V n
To knock a particular quality or characteristic out of someone means to make them lose it.
The stories of his links with the actress had knocked the fun out of him...
Those people hurt me and knocked my confidence.
6 [VERB] V n
If you knock something or someone, you criticize them and say unpleasant things about them. (INFORMAL)
I'm not knocking them: if they want to do it, it's up to them...
7 [N-COUNT]
If someone receives a knock, they have an unpleasant experience which prevents them from achieving something or which causes them to change their attitudes or plans.
What they said was a real knock to my self-confidence...
= blow
8
to knock something on the head: see head
to knock someone or something into shape: see shapeknock about
see knock aroundknock around
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If someone knocks you around or knocks you about, they hit or kick you several times. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
He lied to me constantly and started knocking me around.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P prep/adv, V P n
If someone knocks around or knocks about somewhere, they spend time there, experiencing different situations or just passing time.
...reporters who knock around in troubled parts of the world...
I know nothing about him except that he knocked about South Africa for a while.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] only cont, V P
If someone or something is knocking around or knocking about, they are present in a particular place. (mainly BRIT)
There were a couple of decent kits knocking around, but this wasn't one of them!...
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P with n, pl-n V P together
If you knock around or knock about with someone, you spend your spare time with them, either because you are one of their friends or because you are their boyfriend or girlfriend. (mainly BRIT)
I used to knock about with all the lads from round where Mum lives...
They were knocking around together for about a year.
= hang aroundknock back
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you knock back a drink, especially an alcoholic one, you drink it quickly, and often in large amounts. (INFORMAL)
He was knocking back his 10th gin and tonic of the day...
She poured some vodka into a glass and knocked it back in two swallows.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If an event, situation, or person knocks you back, they prevent you from progressing or achieving something. (mainly BRIT)
It seemed as though every time we got rolling something came along to knock us back...
That really knocked back any hope for further peace negotiations.
= set backknock down
1 [PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V P n (not pron), V n P
If someone is knocked down or is knocked over by a vehicle or its driver, they are hit by a car and fall to the ground, and are often injured or killed.
He died in hospital after being knocked down by a car...
A drunk driver knocked down and killed two girls...
A car knocked him over.
= run over
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
To knock down a building or part of a building means to demolish it.
Why doesn't he just knock the wall down?...
They have since knocked down the shack.
= pull down
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
To knock down a price or amount means to decrease it. (mainly AM; in BRIT, usually use bring down)
The market might abandon the stock, and knock down its price...
It manages to knock rents down to $1 per square foot.knock off
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V amount P n, V P amount
To knock off an amount from a price, time, or level means to reduce it by that amount.
Udinese have knocked 10% off admission prices...
When pressed they knock off 10 per cent.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P n, also V n P
If you knock something off a list or document, you remove it.
Tighter rules for benefit entitlement have knocked many people off the unemployment register.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
When you knock off, you finish work at the end of the day or before a break. (INFORMAL)
If I get this report finished I'll knock off early...knock out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V n P, also V P n (not pron)
To knock someone out means to cause them to become unconscious or to go to sleep.
The three drinks knocked him out...
He had never been knocked out in a professional fight.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V n P of n, also V P n
If a person or team is knocked out of a competition, they are defeated in a game, so that they take no more part in the competition.
Henri Leconte has been knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Geneva Open...
The Irish came so close to knocking England out of the European Championships.
see also knockout
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If something is knocked out by enemy action or bad weather, it is destroyed or stops functioning because of it.
Our bombers have knocked out the mobile launchers...knock over
see knock down 1