1
general::
noun firm sharp sound ADJ. loud, sharp | gentle, light | determined | timid VERB + KNOCK hear | answer She hurried to answer the knock at the door. PHRASES a knock at/on the door There was a loud knock at the door. sharp blow from sth ADJ. hard, nasty, severe (figurative) the hard knocks of life | minor VERB + KNOCK get, have, take You've had a nasty knock on the head. (figurative) Their pride took quite a knock when they lost 5?0. | give sb/sth PREP. ~ on, verb hit/bump ADV. accidentally I accidentally knocked the vase off the table. | about, aside, over Her boyfriend had been knocking her about. Mind you don't knock that glass over. PREP. against The stick knocked against the wall. | off He had knocked one of the pictures off the wall. | on I knocked my head on one of the beams. PHRASES knock sb/sth flying He was knocked flying as two policemen came crashing through the door. | knock sb off their feet The explosion knocked him off his feet. | knock sb out/senseless/unconscious The blow knocked him unconscious. | knock sb to the ground bang on a door ADV. loudly | softly | politely, timidly PREP. at Someone knocked loudly at the door. | on She knocked timidly on the study door and entered. PHRASES without knocking Dobson walked straight into her office without knocking.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
2
general::
knock off ( sth )
informal
to stop working, usually at the end of the day
• I don't knock off until six.
• What time do you knock off work?, knock around/about
informal RELAX
1. to spend time relaxing and doing very little
• I spent the weekend just knocking about the house., knock sth off
[ M ] STEAL
1. ( US knock sth over ) slang to steal something
• He has a stack of computer equipment he's knocked off from various shops.
• Terrorist groups are knocking off ( US also knocking over ) banks to get money.
• He was caught selling knocked-off car radios in the pub., knock yourself out
[ R ] informal
to make yourself ill with tiredness
• If you carry on working like this, you'll knock yourself out., knock sth together/up
[ M ] informal
to make something quickly and without much care
• I could knock together a quick lunch if you like., knock sb out
[ M ] MAKE SLEEP
2. If a drug or alcohol knocks you out, it makes you go to sleep
• The sleeping tablets knocked him out for 18 hours., knock sth over
[ M ]
US for knock sth off (= steal something) , knock sb about/around
informal
to behave violently towards someone and hit them
• Her husband used to knock her about., knock sth off ( sth )
[ M ] informal
to take a particular amount away from a price
• The manager knocked £5 off because it was damaged., knock sb over
[ M usually passive ]
to hit someone with a vehicle and injure or kill them
• She got knocked over by a taxi as she ran for the bus., knock sth out
[ M ] PRODUCE
1. informal to produce something quickly without spending time thinking about the details
• I've knocked out a first draft of the report which we can amend at a later date., knock about/around (sth)
informal
to be in a place which is not exactly known or in various places especially over a long period of time
• I'm sure I've got a copy of 'Time's Arrow' knocking about somewhere.
• He spent years knocking around the Far East before World War One., knock sth down
[ M ]
to destroy a building or part of a building
• The Council plans to knock the library down and replace it with a hotel complex.
• figurative: She easily knocked down every argument he put up., knock up
Players knock up before beginning a game of tennis or similar sport by hitting the ball to each other
• The players have a couple of minutes to knock up before the match starts., knock sb up
[ M ] MAKE PREGNANT
2. slang to make a woman pregnant
• You don't want to get knocked up by some guy you hardly know., knock sb up
[ M ] WAKE UP
1. UK informal to wake someone up by knocking on the door of their house or bedroom
• I'm sorry to have to knock you up in the middle of the night., knock sth out of sb
If a quality is knocked out of someone, they lose that quality because the situation they are in does not allow it to exist
• Any creativity I had was soon knocked out of me at school., knock sth off
[ M ] PRODUCE
2. informal to produce something quickly and easily
• She can knock off (= write) a novel in a couple of weeks., knock sb out
[ M ] MAKE UNCONSCIOUS
1. to hit someone so that they become unconscious
• [ R ]: She hit her head on the ceiling and knocked herself out., knock sth out
[ M ] DESTROY
2. If something such as a piece of equipment is knocked out by something else, it stops working or is damaged or destroyed
• The surge in the power supply knocked out all the computers.
• Enemy aircraft have knocked out 25 tanks., knock sb out
[ M ] DEFEAT
3. to defeat a person or a team in a competition so that they can no longer take part in it
• The champion was unexpectedly knocked out ( of the tournament) in the first round., knock around/about
informal BE WITH SOMEONE
2. to spend a lot of time with someone
• I used to knock around with him at school.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
3
general::
In addition to the idioms beginning with KNOCK, Also see BEAT (KNOCK) INTO SOMEONE'S HEAD; BEAT (KNOCK) THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF; (KNOCK) DOWN TO SIZE; (KNOCK) OFF SOMEONE'S FEET; SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.
American Heritage Idioms