knock

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) An abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a hard object against wood.
2. (countable, uncountable) A sharp impact.
3. (countable, figuratively, informal, uncountable) A criticism.
4. (countable, figuratively, informal, uncountable) A blow or setback.
5. (uncountable) Preignition, a type of abnormal combustion occurring in spark ignition engines caused by self-ignition; also, the characteristic knocking sound associated with it.
6. (countable, slang, uncountable) A batsman's innings.
7. (countable, uncountable) A ball hit into play, especially one that becomes a hit.
8. (uncountable) Synonym of hunger knock.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To rap one's knuckles against something, especially wood.
2. (dated, transitive) To strike for admittance; to rap upon, as a door.
3. (colloquial, transitive) To criticize verbally; to denigrate; to undervalue.
4. (transitive) To kick a ball towards another player; to pass.
5. (transitive) To hit a ball into play.
6. (British, dated, slang, transitive) To impress forcibly or strongly; to astonish; to move to admiration or applause.
7. (ambitransitive, dated) To bump or impact.
8. (slang, transitive) To have sex with.
9. (slang, transitive) To prosecute under the law; to arrest, imprison, etc.
10. (intransitive) To end play by declaring one's hand to have under a certain amount of deadwood.

Synonyms

hit

strike

beat

rap

tap

bump

pound

💷

blow

bang

punch

👊

stroke

criticize

smash

belt

smite

rattle

hammer

🔨

whack

smack

thump

bash

knocking

clatter

slap

jostle

shock

⚡

pink

impact

clobber

elbow

push

ram

🐏

chatter

whop

swat

collide

jab

buffet

hitting

clout

stub

bop

ridicule

force

clank

shove

ping

censure

criticise

poke

Translations

frapper

klopfen

kloppen

golpear

bussare

colpire

bater

schlagen

coup

colpo

golpe

slaan

picchiare

battere

copejar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/nɒk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: knokken

Inherited from Old English: cnocian

Cognate with Middle High German: knochen

Cognate with Old English: cnuian

Cognate with Old Norse: knoka

Cognate with Danish: knuge

Cognate with Swedish: knocka

In summary

From Middle English knokken, from Old English cnocian, ġecnocian, 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”)).