to strike a sounding blow with the fist, knuckles, or anything hard, esp. on a door, window, or the like, as in seeking admittance, calling attention, or giving a signal

to knock on the door before entering.

to strike in collision; bump

He knocked into a table.

to make a pounding noise

The engine of our car is knocking badly.

Informal . to engage in trivial or carping criticism; find fault.

Cards . to end a game, as in gin rummy, by laying down a hand in which those cards not included in sets total less than a specific amount.

to give a sounding or forcible blow to; hit; strike; beat.

to drive, force, or render by a blow or blows

to knock a man senseless.

to make by striking a blow or blows

to knock a hole in the wall.

to strike (a thing) against something else.

Informal . to criticize, esp. in a carping manner

He's always knocking everything.

British Slang . to astound; impress greatly.

an act or instance of knocking.

the sound of knocking, esp. a rap, as at a door.

a blow or thump.

Informal . an adverse criticism.

the noise resulting from faulty combustion or from incorrect functioning of some part of an internal-combustion engine.

Cricket . an innings.

British Slang .

one of a combination of dealers who bid together, rather than against each other, at an auction, and later resell the purchases among themselves.

an auction at which this is done.

the sale of merchandise recently obtained by a dealer at an auction. ?

knock around or about, Informal .

to wander aimlessly or idly; loaf.

to mistreat (someone), esp. physically.

to jar; shake up.

knock back, Slang . to drink (a beverage), esp. quickly and heartily

He knocked back two shots of vodka.

knock down,

to sell at auction by a blow of the hammer or to a bidder.

to take apart or disassemble, as for facility in handling, storing, shipping, etc.

Slang . to receive, as a salary or a scholastic grade; earn

He knocks down 30 grand a year.

Informal . to lower the price of; reduce

to knock down end-of-season leftovers.

Slang . to embezzle or steal (money).

to cause (a sailing vessel) to heel, as by a gust of wind, to such a degree that it cannot right itself.

knock off,

Informal . to cease activity, esp. work

to knock off at five every day.

to stop doing something; quit

Knock it off or you'll get into a mess.

Slang . to dispose of; finish.

Slang . to murder; kill.

Slang . to die.

Slang . to get rid of; reduce.

Slang . to disable or defeat.

Slang . to commit a robbery at; steal from

The gang knocked off a gas station.

Nautical Slang . to blow the head (of a sailing vessel) off the wind.

to imitate, copy, or plagiarize

to knock off designer dresses in cheap materials.

knock out,

to defeat (an opponent) in a boxing match by striking such a blow that the opponent is unable to rise within the specified time.

to render (a person) unconscious

Those sleeping pills knocked me out for ten hours.

to make tired or exhausted

Christmas shopping always knocks me out.

Informal . to produce quickly, hurriedly, or with ease

He knocks out two poems a day.

to damage or destroy

The explosion knocked out the power for several hours.

knock ( def. 28 ) .

knock over,

to strike (someone or something) from an erect to a prone position

to knock over a lamp.

to distress; overcome

When the announcement came we were completely knocked over.

Slang . to rob, burglarize, or hijack

He knocked over five banks.

knock together, to make or construct in a hurry or with little attention to detail

He knocked together a couple of tables.

knock up,

Slang . to make pregnant.

to exhaust; weary; tire.

to damage; mar

The children knocked up the new table.

to injure; wound

He was afraid to come home from school all knocked up again.

British . to wake up; rouse; call

He knocked us up before dawn.

have it knocked

Slang . to be assured of success

With a government job, he thought he had it knocked.

knock out of the box, Baseball . to cause a pitcher to be removed from the box because the pitcher has permitted too many hits to be made. Also

knock out.

knock the or one's socks off

Informal . to have an overwhelming effect on

The song knocked the socks off the audience.

verb

drift , knock around , ramble , range , rove , traipse , travel , walk , wander , knock