/nɒk/, /nɑk/
OriginFrom Middle English knokken, from Old English cnocian, ġecnocian, ġecnucian, cnucian (“to knock, pound on, beat”), from Proto-West Germanic *knokōn, from Proto-Germanic *knukōną (“to knock”), a suffixed form of *knu-, *knew- (“to pound on, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *gnew-, *gen- (“to squeeze, pinch, kink, ball up, concentrate”). The English word is cognate with Middle High German knochen (“to hit”), Old English cnuian, cnuwian (“to pound, knock”), Old Norse knoka (compare Danish knuge (“to squeeze”), Swedish knocka (“to hug”)).
- countable, uncountableAn abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a hard object against wood.
“It came to me, like a knock on the door / Erasing all that had gone before / Broken wings can be mended / But this love of ours, we've got to defend it”
- countable, uncountableA sharp impact.
“He took a knock on the head.”
- countable, figuratively, informal, uncountableA criticism.
“Since forming in 2007 Mumford & Sons have hard-toured their way to a vast market for throaty folk that's strong on banjo and bass drum. They have released two enormous albums. But, wow, do they take s”
- countable, figuratively, informal, uncountableA blow or setback.
“"Come on!" cried Mr. Beaver, who was almost dancing with delight. "Come and see! This is a nasty knock for the Witch! It looks as if her power was already crumbling."”
- uncountablePreignition, a type of abnormal combustion occurring in spark ignition engines caused by self-ignition; also, the characteristic knocking sound associated with it.
- countable, slang, uncountableA batsman's innings.
“He had a good knock and scored well.”
- countable, uncountableA ball hit into play, especially one that becomes a hit.
“He played a slow but sure knock of 35.”
- uncountableSynonym of hunger knock.
- intransitiveTo rap one's knuckles against something, especially wood.
“Knock on the door and find out if they’re home.”
“Then ſaid Evangeliſt, Keep that light in your eye, and go up directly thereto: ſo ſhalt thou ſee the Gate; at which, when thou knockeſt, it ſhall be told thee what thou ſhalt do.”
- dated, transitiveTo strike for admittance; to rap upon, as a door.
“Master, knock the door hard.”
- colloquial, transitiveTo criticize verbally; to denigrate; to undervalue.
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”
“And my friend, the reporter, could see nothing funny in this! Sent out on an assignment to write up a roaring, hilarious, brilliant joshing story of—but I will not knock a brother—let us go on with th”
“A Judge must be respected, / A Judge you mustn't knock / Or else you'll be detected / And shoved into the dock.”
- transitiveTo kick a ball towards another player; to pass.
- transitiveTo hit a ball into play.
“Despite enjoying more than their fair share of possession the visitors did not look like creating anything, with their lack of a killer ball painfully obvious as they harmlessly knocked the ball aroun”
- British, dated, slang, transitiveTo impress forcibly or strongly; to astonish; to move to admiration or applause.
- ambitransitive, datedTo bump or impact.
“I knocked against the table and bruised my leg.”
“I accidentally knocked my drink off the bar.”
“"The Silver Shoes," said the Good Witch, "have wonderful powers. And one of the most curious things about them is that they can carry you to any place in the world in three steps, and each step will b”
- slang, transitiveTo have sex with.
- slang, transitiveTo prosecute under the law; to arrest, imprison, etc.
“The cops had busted us for selling hot designer bags up on Utica Avenue for some cat who figured we was too young to get knocked if we got caught, but two fat white po-pos said fuck how young we was, ”
- intransitiveTo end play by declaring one's hand to have under a certain amount of deadwood.
- A suburb and ward in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- A townland in Drumcliff civil parish, County Clare, Ireland.
- A town and civil parish of County Mayo, Ireland, location of the Knock Shrine.
- A settlement in Moray council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NJ5552).
- A village on the Isle of Lewis, Western Isles council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NB4931).
- A village in Long Marton parish, Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, previously in Eden district (OS grid ref NY6827).
- A surname.
Formsknocks(plural) · knocks(present, singular, third-person) · knocking(participle, present) · knocked(participle, past) · knocked(past)