Akademik

knock off
verb
1. get rid of (someone who may be a threat) by killing (Freq. 3)
-

The mafia liquidated the informer

-

the double agent was neutralized

• Syn: ↑neutralize, ↑neutralise, ↑liquidate, ↑waste, ↑do in
• Derivationally related forms: ↑liquidation (for: ↑liquidate), ↑liquidator (for: ↑liquidate)
• Hypernyms: ↑kill
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

They want to knock off the prisoners

2. cut the price of (Freq. 1)
• Syn: ↑shave
• Hypernyms:
↑reduce, ↑cut down, ↑cut back, ↑trim, ↑trim down, ↑trim back, ↑cut, ↑bring down
• Hyponyms: ↑mark down
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

3. write quickly
-

She dashed off a note to her husband saying she would not be home for supper

-

He scratched off a thank-you note to the hostess

• Syn: ↑dash off, ↑scratch off, ↑toss off, ↑fling off
• Topics: ↑writing, ↑authorship, ↑composition, ↑penning
• Hypernyms: ↑write, ↑compose, ↑pen, ↑indite
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Did he knock off his major works over a short period of time?

4. stop pursuing or acting
-

drop a lawsuit

-

knock it off!

• Syn: ↑drop
• Hypernyms: ↑discontinue, ↑stop, ↑cease, ↑give up, ↑quit, ↑lay off
• Hyponyms: ↑nolle pros, ↑nolle prosequi, ↑nol.pros.
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s

5. take by theft
-

Someone snitched my wallet!

• Syn: ↑hook, ↑snitch, ↑thieve, ↑cop, ↑glom
• Derivationally related forms: ↑thieving (for: ↑thieve), ↑thievery (for: ↑thieve), ↑snitcher (for: ↑snitch)
• Hypernyms: ↑steal
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

* * *

informal stop work

* * *

knock off [phrasal verb]
informal
1 knock off or knock (something) off or knock off (something) : to stop doing something (such as work)

We are going to knock off for lunch in 10 minutes.

The boss said we could knock off early today. = The boss said we could knock off work early today.

— often used as a command to tell someone to stop doing something immediately

Knock off your fighting right now!

I told you two kids to knock it off!

2 knock (something) off or knock off (something)
2 a : to do or make (something) very quickly

He knocked off 10 paintings in 4 days.

We are planning to knock this project off in a weekend.

2 b : to take (an amount) away from something

He agreed to knock off 10 dollars from the price. [=to reduce the price by 10 dollars]

This shortcut will knock at least 100 miles off the journey.

2 c US : to steal money or things from (a bank or store)

They knocked off [=knocked over] a jewelry store.

2 d chiefly Brit : to steal (something)

They knocked off a lot of valuable merchandise.

2 e US : to make a cheaper copy of (something)

Several other companies knocked off their dress design.

— see also ↑knockoff
3 knock (someone) off or knock off (someone)
3 a : to kill (someone)

He tried to knock off two men who owed him money.

Did she really want to knock her husband off?

3 b US : to defeat (someone)

They knocked off the best team in the league.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑knock

* * *

ˌknock ˈoff | ˌknock ˈoff sth derived
(informal) to stop doing sth, especially work

•

Do you want to knock off early today?

•

What time do you knock off work?

•

Let's knock off for lunch.

Main entry: ↑knockderived

Useful english dictionary. 2012.