knock

[[t]nɒ̱k[/t]]

♦♦♦

knocks, knocking, knocked

1) VERB If you knock on something such as a door or window, you hit it, usually several times, to attract someone's attention.

[V on/at n] She went directly to Simon's apartment and knocked on the door...

[V on/at n] Knock at my window at eight o'clock and I'll be ready...

He knocked before going in.

Derived words:

knocking N-SING also no det

They were wakened by a loud knocking at the door.

N-COUNT

Knock is also a noun.

They heard a knock at the front door.

2) VERB If you knock something, you touch or hit it roughly, especially so that it falls or moves.

[V n prep] She accidentally knocked the tea tin off the shelf...

[V n prep] The baby was knocked from his father's arms...

[V n with adv] Isabel rose so abruptly that she knocked down her chair...

[V n with adv] Buckets of roses had been knocked over. [Also V n]

N-COUNT

Knock is also a noun.

The bags have tough exterior materials to protect against knocks, rain and dust.

3) VERB 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.

[V pl-n into n] They decided to knock the two rooms into one...

[V pl-n with together] The spacious kitchen was achieved by knocking together three small rooms.

4) VERB To knock someone into a particular position or condition means to hit them very hard so that they fall over or become unconscious.

[V n prep/adv] The third wave was so strong it knocked me backwards...

[V n prep/adv] They were knocked to the ground and robbed of their wallets...

[V n adj] Someone had knocked him unconscious.

5) VERB: no cont To knock a particular quality or characteristic out of someone means to make them lose it.

[V n out of n] The stories of his links with the actress had knocked the fun out of him...

[V n out of n] When they first joined for training many were starry eyed about just sailing around the world. We soon knocked that out of them...

[V n] Those people hurt me and knocked my confidence.

6) VERB If something knocks, it makes a repeated sharp banging noise.

His old truck, knocking and smoking, pulled down the road and out of sight.

7) VERB If you knock something or someone, you criticize them and say unpleasant things about them. [INFORMAL]

[V n] I'm not knocking them: if they want to do it, it's up to them...

[V n] Never knock charter flights; they are opening up the world for budget-conscious travellers.

Derived words:

knocker plural N-COUNT

This season he's more determined that ever to prove the knockers wrong.

8) 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.

I can remember it feeling a real knock to my self-confidence that they said I wasn't academically up to being a teacher...

The art market has suffered some severe knocks during the past two years.

Syn:

blow

9) PHRASE: V inflects To knock them dead means to impress people a great deal, especially with your appearance. [INFORMAL]

Glamorous make-up is best reserved for days when you want to go all out to knock e̱m dead.

10) PHRASE If you tell someone to knock it off, you are telling them to stop doing something that is annoying you. [INFORMAL]

Will you just knock it off!

Syn:

cut it out

11) to knock peoples' heads together → see head

to knock something on the head → see head

to knock someone or something into shape → see shape

to be knocked sideways → see sideways

Phrasal Verbs:

- knock about

- knock around

- knock back

- knock down

- knock off

- knock out

- knock over

- knock together

- knock up