knockout

• knock-out

Deverbal from knock out.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnɒk.aʊt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈnɑk.oʊt/

knockout (plural knockouts)

1. The act of making one unconscious, or at least unable to come back on one's feet within a certain period of time; a TKO.

   The boxer scored a knockout on his opponent.

2. The deactivation of anything.
   • 1989 February 6, Network World, page 82:

     Pull the plug on a node to see how the network handles a node knockout.

3. (informal) Something wildly popular, entertaining, or funny.

   If you've ever had a sack race, you know it's a real knockout for kids and adults alike.

4. (informal) A very attractive person, especially a beautiful woman.

   Synonym: stunner

   • 1995, Rhonda K. Reinholtz, “Sexual Discourse and Sexual Intercourse”, in P. J. Kalbfleisch, M. J. Cody, editors, Gender, Power, and Communications in Human Relationships, Routledge, →ISBN, page 150:

     Phrases such as "she bowled me over," "she's striking," and "she's a knockout" suggest that the woman affects the man in ways he cannot mediate or control.

   • 2009 March 28, Angelique Chrisafis, “The mystery of the bikini-clad minister”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     She was the "bikini-babe", "Sarkozette" stunna who never was. Paris was baffled this week when some of the British media began drooling over an old beach photograph of a former newsreader, Christine Kelly, whom they announced as Sarkozy's latest cabinet appointment—or rather "knockout lovely" or "oh yes, minister!".

5. A partially punched opening meant for optional later removal.

   They left a knockout in the panel for running extra wires someday.

6. (genetics) The deactivation of a particular gene.
7. (genetics) A creature engineered with a particular gene deactivated.
8. (printing) An event where a foreground color causes a background color not to print.
9. (sports) A tournament in which a team or player must beat the opponent in order to progress to the next round.

   the knockout stages of the competition

   • 2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:

     In truth, Tottenham never really looked like taking all three points and this defeat means they face a battle to reach the knockout stages -with their next home game against PAOK Salonika on 30 November likely to prove decisive.

10. (uncountable) A simple game for two or more players, derived from basketball.
11. Ellipsis of knockout auction.

• → Belarusian: нака́ўт (nakáwt)
• → Portuguese: nocaute, knockout (unadapted spelling)
• → Russian: нока́ут (nokáut)
• → Spanish: nocaut
• → Ukrainian: нока́ут (nokáut)
• → Vietnamese: nốc ao

knockout (not comparable)

1. Rendering someone unconscious.

   He delivered a knockout blow.

2. Amazing; gorgeous; beautiful.

   You should have seen her knockout eyes.

   • 2010, Ro Martinez, Modeling at Any Age, page 81:

     If the same model has beautiful hair, white teeth, glowing skin, a fit body, good hands and legs, a great wardrobe, and a knockout comp, her value on the "bookability meter" goes sky high.

3. (genetics) Designating an organism in which a particular gene has been removed or deactivated.
   • 1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial, published 2004, page 255:

     The result is a so-called knockout mouse, reared with a single gene silenced, the better to reveal that gene's true purpose.

4. Causing elimination from a competition.
   • 2012, Ben Smith, Leeds United 2-1 Everton‎^[3]:

     Rodolph Austin delivered the knockout blow from close range 20 minutes from time, after Aidan White had given Leeds a dream start after four minutes.

• knock one's socks off
• knock out
• technical knockout, TKO

Unadapted borrowing from English knockout.

knockout m (plural knockouts)

1. alternative spelling of nocaute

Borrowed from French knock-out or English knockout.

knockout n (plural knockouturi)

1. (sports) knockout

Borrowed from English knockout. Attested since 1921.

knockout c

1. (sports, boxing) a knockout

   vinna på knockout

   win by knockout

   slå knockout på någon

   knock someone out

2. (figuratively) a knockout (decisive victory or the like)

• golva (“floor”)
• knocka (“knock out”)

• knockout in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• knockout in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• knockout in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)