KNOCK OUT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does knock out mean? 

• KNOCK OUT (verb)
  The verb KNOCK OUT has 5 senses:

1. eliminate

2. knock unconscious or senseless

3. destroy or break forcefully

4. overwhelm with admiration

5. empty (as of tobacco) by knocking out

  Familiarity information: KNOCK OUT used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• KNOCK OUT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Eliminate

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

knock out a target

Hypernyms (to "knock out" is one way to...):

do away with; eliminate; extinguish; get rid of (terminate, end, or take out)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Knock unconscious or senseless

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

kayo; knock cold; knock out

Context example:

the boxing champion knocked out his opponent in a few seconds

Hypernyms (to "knock out" is one way to...):

beat; beat up; work over (give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to knock out the prisoners

Derivation:

knockout (a blow that renders the opponent unconscious)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Destroy or break forcefully

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The windows were knocked out

Hypernyms (to "knock out" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Overwhelm with admiration

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

All the guys were knocked out by her charm

Hypernyms (to "knock out" is one way to...):

overcome; overpower; overtake; overwhelm; sweep over; whelm (overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 5

Meaning:

Empty (as of tobacco) by knocking out

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

knocked out a pipe

Hypernyms (to "knock out" is one way to...):

empty (make void or empty of contents)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

“No country hawbuck is going to knock out a man with such a record.”

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I wonder they don't knock out their brains against—against mantelpieces, said my aunt; an idea which was probably suggested to her by her contemplation of mine.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)