To knock about

To knock about
Knock Knock (n[o^]k), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Knocked} (n[o^]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Knocking}.] [OE. knoken, AS. cnocian, cnucian; prob. of imitative origin; cf. Sw. knacka. Cf. {Knack}.] 1. To drive or be driven against something; to strike against something; to clash; as, one heavy body knocks against another. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

2. 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. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. --Matt. vii. 7. [1913 Webster]

3. To practice evil speaking or fault-finding; to criticize habitually or captiously. [Slang, U. S.] [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.

{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. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • knock\ about — • knock about • knock around v To travel without a plan; go where you please. After he graduated from college, Joe knocked about for a year seeing the country before he went to work in his father s business. Compare: kick around …   Словарь американских идиом

  • knock about/knock around  — [v] roam, wander drift, ramble, range, rove, traipse, travel, walk; concepts 151,224 Ant. stay, wait …   New thesaurus

  • knock about (or around) — informal 1》 spend time or travel without a specific purpose. 2》 happen to be present. → knock …   English new terms dictionary

  • knock about — ► knock about (or around) informal 1) travel or spend time without a specific purpose. 2) happen to be present. Main Entry: ↑knock …   English terms dictionary

  • knock about — index ill use Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • knock about — phrasal verb knock around or knock about Word forms knock around : present tense I/you/we/they knock around he/she/it knocks around present participle knocking around past tense knocked around past participle knocked around informal 1) British… …   English dictionary

  • knock about — 1. noun an informal game, usually football 2. verb a) to spend time with someone as a friend I used to knock about with John when we were younger. b) To do a relaxing activity. I like to knock …   Wiktionary

  • knock about — travel without a plan, go where one pleases We decided to go to Brazil and knock about for a couple of months …   Idioms and examples

  • knock about with somebody — ˌknock aˈround with sb/together derived (BrE also ˌknock aˈbout with sb/together) (informal) to spend a lot of time with sb/together Main entry: ↑knockderived …   Useful english dictionary

  • knock about with together — ˌknock aˈround with sb/together derived (BrE also ˌknock aˈbout with sb/together) (informal) to spend a lot of time with sb/together Main entry: ↑knockderived …   Useful english dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”