knockout
knockout Lexical Profile
knockout Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An act of knocking an opponent down in boxing or martial arts so that they are unable to rise before the referee completes a specified count.
"The heavyweight champion won the title match by a decisive knockout in the fourth round."
An extremely attractive, impressive, or sensational person or thing.
"Her performance in the leading role was an absolute knockout that earned a standing ovation."
A tournament or competition in which the loser of each match is immediately eliminated.
"The annual cup competition is organized as a straight knockout from the opening round."
A genetically engineered organism in which one or more specific genes have been inactivated or removed for research purposes.
"The laboratory used a mouse knockout to study how the missing protein affects immune response."
• adjective
Relating to a tournament or competition in which the loser of each match is immediately eliminated.
"The teams are preparing for the intense pressure of the knockout stage of the championship."
Causing unconsciousness, decisive defeat, or overwhelming astonishment.
"The defense attorney delivered a knockout closing argument that swayed the entire jury."
Word Nuance & Usage
The one-word form 'knockout' functions as a noun or adjective (a knockout performance), whereas the two-word phrasal verb is written separately as 'knock out' (to knock out an opponent).
• Rhymes for knockout
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 19th century as a noun compound from the phrasal verb 'knock out', originally emerging from boxing terminology to denote a blow that renders an opponent unable to continue.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.