Knock

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Knock, v. i. [OE. knoken, AS. cnocian, cnucian; prob. of imitative origin; cf. Sw. knacka. Cf. Knack.].

•  To drive or be driven against something; to strike against something; to clash; as, one heavy body knocks against another.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]
•  To strike or beat with something hard or heavy; to rap; as, to knock with a club; to knock on the door.  [1913 Webster]

  "For harbor at a thousand doors they knocked."  [1913 Webster]

  "Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."  [1913 Webster]
•  To practice evil speaking or fault-finding; to criticize habitually or captiously.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

To knock about, to go about, taking knocks or rough usage; to wander about; to saunter. [Colloq.] “Knocking about town.” W. Irving. -- To knock up, to fail of strength; to become wearied or worn out, as with labor; to give out. “The horses were beginning to knock up under the fatigue of such severe service.” De Quincey.<-- (b) to make pregnant (vulgar) --> -- To knock off, to cease, as from work; to desist. -- To knock under, to yield; to submit; to acknowledge one's self conquered; -- an expression probably borrowed from the practice of knocking under the table with the knuckles, when conquered. “Colonel Esmond knocked under to his fate.” Thackeray.

Knock, v. t. 

•  To strike with something hard or heavy; to move by striking; to drive (a thing) against something; as, to knock a ball with a bat; to knock the head against a post; to knock a lamp off the table.  [1913 Webster]

  "When heroes knock their knotty heads together."  [1913 Webster]
•  To strike for admittance; to rap upon, as a door.  [1913 Webster]

  "Master, knock the door hard."  [1913 Webster]
•  To impress strongly or forcibly; to astonish; to move to admiration or applause.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  To criticise; to find fault with; to disparage.  [PJC]

To knock in the head, or To knock on the head, to stun or kill by a blow upon the head; hence, to put am end to; to defeat, as a scheme or project; to frustrate; to quash. [Colloq.] -- To knock off. (a) To force off by a blow or by beating. (b) To assign to a bidder at an auction, by a blow on the counter. (c) To leave off (work, etc.). [Colloq.] -- To knock out, to force out by a blow or by blows; as, to knock out the brains. -- To knock up. (a) To arouse by knocking. (b) To beat or tire out; to fatigue till unable to do more; as, the men were entirely knocked up. [Colloq.] “The day being exceedingly hot, the want of food had knocked up my followers.” Petherick. (c) (Bookbinding) To make even at the edges, or to shape into book form, as printed sheets. (d) To make pregnant. Often used in passive, "she got knocked up". [vulgar]

Knock, n. 

•  A blow; a stroke with something hard or heavy; a jar.  [1913 Webster]
•  A stroke, as on a door for admittance; a rap.  Longfellow.  [1913 Webster]

  "A loud cry or some great knock."  [1913 Webster]

Knock off, See knock off in the vocabulary.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Knock, v. & n.
--v.
1 a tr. strike (a hard surface) with an audible sharp blow (knocked the table three times). b intr. strike, esp. a door to gain admittance (can you hear someone knocking?; knocked at the door).
2 tr. make (a hole, a dent, etc.) by knocking (knock a hole in the fence).
3 tr. (usu. foll. by in, out, off, etc.) drive (a thing, a person, etc.) by striking (knocked the ball into the hole; knocked those ideas out of his head; knocked her hand away).
4 tr. sl. criticize.
5 intr. a (of a motor or other engine) make a thumping or rattling noise esp. as the result of a loose bearing. b = PINK(3).
6 tr. Brit. sl. make a strong impression on, astonish.
7 tr. Brit. coarse sl. offens. = knock off 7.
--n.
1 an act of knocking.
2 a sharp rap, esp. at a door.
3 an audible sharp blow.
4 the sound of knocking in esp. a motor engine.
5 Cricket colloq. an innings.

Idiom

knock about (or around)
1 strike repeatedly; treat roughly (knocked her about).
2 lead a wandering adventurous life; wander aimlessly.
3 be present without design or volition (there's a cup knocking about somewhere).
4 (usu. foll. by with) be associated socially (knocks about with his brother).
knock against
1 collide with.
2 come across casually.
knock back
1 Brit. sl. eat or drink, esp. quickly.
2 Brit. sl. disconcert.
3 Austral. & NZ colloq. refuse, rebuff. knock-back n. Austral. & NZ colloq. a refusal, a rebuff. knock the bottom out of see BOTTOM.
knock down
1 strike (esp. a person) to the ground with a blow.
2 demolish.
3 (usu. foll. by to) (at an auction) dispose of (an article) to a bidder by a knock with a hammer (knocked the Picasso down to him for a million).
4 colloq. lower the price of (an article).
5 take (machinery, furniture, etc.) to pieces for transportation.
6 US sl. steal.
7 Austral. & NZ sl. spend (a pay cheque etc.) freely. knock-down attrib.a
adj.
1 (of a blow, misfortune, argument, etc.) overwhelming.
2 Brit. (of a price) very low.
3 (of a price at auction) reserve.
4 (of furniture etc.) easily dismantled and reassembled.
--n. Austral. & NZ sl. an introduction (to a person). knock for knock agreement an agreement between insurance companies by which each pays its own policyholder regardless of liability. knock one's head against come into collision with (unfavourable facts or conditions). knocking-shop Brit. sl. a brothel. knock into a cocked hat see COCK(1). knock into the middle of next week colloq. send (a person) flying, esp. with a blow. knock into shape see SHAPE. knock-kneed having knock knees. knock knees an abnormal condition with the legs curved inwards at the knee. knock off 1 strike off with a blow.
2 colloq. a finish work (knocked off at 5.30). b finish (work) (knocked off work early).
3 colloq. dispatch (business).
4 colloq. rapidly produce (a work of art, verses, etc.).
5 (often foll. by from) deduct (a sum) from a price, bill, etc.
6 sl. steal.
7 Brit. coarse sl. offens. have sexual intercourse with (a woman).
8 sl. kill. knock on Rugby Football drive (a ball) with the hand or arm towards the opponents' goal-line. knock-on n. an act of knocking on. knock-on effect a secondary, indirect, or cumulative effect.
knock on the head
1 stun or kill (a person) by a blow on the head.
2 colloq. put an end to (a scheme etc.). knock on (or knock) wood US = touch wood.
knock out
1 make (a person) unconscious by a blow on the head.
2 knock down (a boxer) for a count of 10, thereby winning the contest.
3 defeat, esp. in a knockout competition.
4 sl. astonish.
5 (refl.) colloq. exhaust (knocked themselves out swimming).
6 colloq. make or write (a plan etc.) hastily.
7 empty (a tobacco-pipe) by tapping.
8 Austral., NZ, & US sl. earn. knock sideways colloq. disconcert; astonish. knock spots off defeat easily. knock together put together or assemble hastily or roughly. knock under submit.
knock up
1 make or arrange hastily.
2 drive upwards with a blow.
3 a become exhausted or ill. b exhaust or make ill.
4 Brit. arouse (a person) by a knock at the door.
5 Cricket score (runs) rapidly.
6 esp. US sl. make pregnant.
7 practise a ball game before formal play begins. knock-up n. a practice at tennis etc. take a (or the) knock be hard hit financially or emotionally.

Etymology

ME f. OE cnocian: prob. imit.

THESAURUS

Knock

KO, abuse, adverse criticism, animadversion, arouse, aspersion, associate with, astonish, astound, awaken, bad notices, bad press, bang, bang into, bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, beat up, beating, belt, bewilder, biff, blame, blow, bob, bonk, bop, bowl over, buffet, bump, bump into, burst, bust, cannon, captiousness, carom, carom into, carp at, carping, cavil, caviling, censoriousness, censure, chop, clap, clash, clip, clobber, clock out, close down, clout, clump, coldcock, collide, come into collision, complete, concuss, condemn, condemnation, confront each other, conk, consort with, copy, crack, crack up, crash, crash into, criticism, criticize, crump, crunch, cuff, cut, cut down, dash, dash into, daze, deal, deal a blow, debate, deck, demolish, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, destroy, dig, dint, discuss, disparage, drub, drubbing, drumming, encounter, exception, fall foul of, faultfinding, fell, fetch, fetch a blow, finish, flail, flak, flap, flatten, floor, flop, foul, fusillade, gad about, get with child, go home, hairsplitting, hammer, hammering, hit, hit a clip, hit against, home thrust, hostile criticism, hurt, hurtle, hypercriticalness, hypercriticism, imitate, impinge, impregnate, improvise, imputation, insult, jab, kayo, kill, knock about, knock against, knock around, knock cold, knock down, knock off, knock out, knock over, knock together, knock unconscious, knock up, lambaste, larrup, lay in ruins, left, let have it, level, lick, lift, lock up, maltreat, manhandle, maul, meet, mistreat, nagging, nick, niggle, niggling, nit, nit-picking, obloquy, overcome, overcriticalness, overwhelm, pan, paste, patter, pelt, percuss, pestering, pettifogging, pilfer, pinch, plunk, poke, polish off, pommel, pound, pounding, priggishness, prostrate, pull down, pulverize, pummel, punch, put down, put together, quibble, quibbling, quit, ramble, rap, raze, reflection, report, reprehend, reproachfulness, reprobate, right, roam, rob, rove, run down, run into, sideswipe, skin, slam, slam into, slap, slat, sledgehammer, slog, slug, slur, smack, smack into, smash, smash into, smash up, smite, snap, snipe at, soak, sock, spank, splat, stagger, steal, stricture, strike, strike against, strike at, stroke, stun, swap, swat, swing, swipe, taking exception, talk over, tap, tattoo, terminate, thieve, thrash, thresh, throw down, thump, thwack, travel, trichoschistism, trounce, tunk, wake up, wallop, wander, whack, wham, whap, whip, whomp, whop, wipe, wreck, yerk

ROGET THESAURUS

Knock

Rashness

VB be rash, stick at nothing, play a desperate game, run into danger, play with fire, play with edge tools, carry too much sail, sail too near the wind, ride at single anchor, go out of one's depth, take a leap in the dark, buy a pig in a poke, donner tete baissee, knock, one's bead against a wall, rush on destruction, kick against the pricks, tempt Providence, go on a forlorn hope, go on a fool's errand, reckon one's chickens before they are hatched, count one's chickens before they are hatched, reckon without one's host, catch at straws, trust to a broken reed, lean on a broken reed.

Impulse

N impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.

VB flash on the mind, say what comes uppermost, improvise, extemporize, give an impetus, impel, push, start, give a start to, set going, drive, urge, boom, thrust, prod, foin, cant, elbow, shoulder, jostle, justle, hustle, hurtle, shove, jog, jolt, encounter, run against, bump against, butt against, knock one's head against, run one's head against, impinge, boost, bunt, carom, clip y, fan, fan out, jab, plug, strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash, punch, thwack, whack, hit hard, strike hard, swap, batter, dowse, baste, pelt, patter, buffet, belabor, fetch one a blow, poke at, pink, lunge, yerk, kick, calcitrate, butt, strike at, whip, come into a collision, enter into collision, collide, sideswipe, foul, fall foul of, run foul of, telescope, throw.

Snap

VB rap, snap, tap, knock, ping, click, clash, crack, crackle, crash, pop, slam, bang, blast, boom, clap, clang, clack, whack, wham, brustle, burst on the ear, crepitate, rump, blow up, blow, detonate.