knock off
See also: knockoff and knock-off
English
Etymology
In the verb sense of stopping work, said to be from the practice aboard slave galleys to have a man beat time for the rowers by knocking on a block or drum; when he stopped, the rowers could rest.
Noun
knock off (plural knock offs)
- Alternative form of knockoff
- A device in a knitting machine to remove loops from the needles.
Verb
knock off (third-person singular simple present knocks off, present participle knocking off, simple past and past participle knocked off)
- (intransitive, slang) To halt one's work or other activity.
- I think I'll knock off for the evening and go to bed.
- (transitive, slang) To kill.
- The mobsters hired the guy to knock off their enemies.
- (transitive) To remove, as a discount or estimate.
- They agreed to knock off 20% of the price.
- (transitive, slang) To rob.
- They decided to knock off a liquor store downtown.
- (transitive) To make a copy of, as of a design.
- They send people to the shows in Milan for "ideas", which means knocking off the designs they guess would sell.
- (transitive) To assign (an item) to a bidder at an auction, indicated by knocking on the counter.
- (transitive, slang) To have sex with.
- 1965, Claude Brown, Manchild in the Promised Land
- I took her down to Basin Street and to a movie, then took her to my room and knocked her off.
- 1965, Claude Brown, Manchild in the Promised Land
- (transitive, informal) To accomplish hastily.
- I knocked off a couple of quick sketches before the design meeting.
Derived terms
Terms derived from knock off (verb)
- knock someone off his perch
- knock someone's block off
- knock off someone's socks
Related terms
terms related to knock off (verb)
- bump off (3)
- knock down
- knock it off
- knock over
- knock one's socks off
Translations
hit (something) off
|
|
stop working
|
|