knock

Meanings

Noun

• An abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a hard object against wood.
• A sharp impact.
• Criticism.
• Preignition, a type of abnormal combustion occurring in spark ignition engines caused by self-ignition; also, the characteristic knocking sound associated with it.
• A batsman's innings.
• Synonym of hunger knock

Verb

• To strike for admittance; to rap upon, as a door.
• To criticize verbally; to denigrate; to undervalue.
• To kick a ball towards another player; to pass.
• To impress forcibly or strongly; to astonish; to move to admiration or applause.
• To bump or impact.
• To rap one's knuckles against something, especially wood.

Origin

• From Middle English knokken, from Old English cnocian, ġecnocian, cnucian, from Proto-West Germanic *knokōn, from Proto-Germanic *knukōną, a suffixed form of *knu-, *kneu-, from Proto-Indo-European *gen-. The English word is cognate with Middle High German knochen, Old English cnuian, cnuwian, Old Norse knoka (compare Danish knuge, Swedish knocka).