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Added 8 October 2026

knock

/nɒk/ noun

In Latin: pulsō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about knock at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing).
the knocking grew louder
Negative criticism.
A vigorous blow.
the sudden knock floored him

verb

Deliver a sharp blow or push.
He knocked the glass clear across the room
Rap with the knuckles.
knock on the door
Knock against with force or violence.
My car bumped into the tree

Origin

From Middle English knokken, from Old English cnocian, ġecnocian, ġecnucian, cnucian (“to knock, pound on, beat”), from Proto-West Germanic *knokōn, from Proto-Germanic *knukōną (“to knock”), a suffixed form of *knu-, *knew- (“to pound on, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *gnew-, *gen- (“to squeeze, pinch, kink, ball up, concentrate”). The English word is cognate with Middle High German knochen (“to hit”), Old English cnuian, cnuwian (“to pound, knock”), Old Norse knoka (compare Danish knuge (“to squeeze”), Swedish knocka (“to hug”)). More at knuckle.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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