transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to strike to the ground or lay low with or as if with a short sharp blow : fell , prostrate
hit him on the chin and knocked him down
(2) : to lower in degree : tone down : put down
needs to have his self-esteem knocked down
: humble , humiliate
try not to frustrate him or knock down his cap — Education Digest
b. : to hit with or as if with a projectile or other missile and cause to fall : shoot down
thinking of ways to knock planes down from the skies — J.P.Baxter b.1893
: bring down by a shot : pot
knocking down game birds
c.
(1) : to dispose of effectively : put out of the way : get rid of : eliminate , quash
each objection had been knocked down — Times Literary Supplement
(2) Australia : to spend (money) with abandon
knock down their checks there — George Farwell
d. : to check or abate (flames or heat) at the edges of a blazing area
e. : to cause (a vessel) to heel over or list heavily or beyond recovery
lets the wind blow on both sides of the sail … and the boat cannot be knocked down — Peter Heaton
2. : to dispose of to or as if to a bidder at an auction sale
knocked the clock down for a trifling sum
3. : to take apart (something assembled) typically for convenience of moving, packing, storing, or shipping : disassemble
knocked the table down before boxing it
4.
a. slang
(1) : to appropriate dishonestly : steal
knocked down plenty of the cash without getting caught
(2) : rob
knocked down a bank
b. : to receive as income or salary : make by earning : earn , draw , get
positions where they were able to knock down good money — Infantry Journal
were knocking down close to $150,000 a year — Newsweek
5. : to hammer out the round and joints of (a book to be rebound) after removal of the cover ; also : to flatten out the frayed ends of (cords or bands) after lacing in
6. : to make a reduction in (an amount) : reduce , lower
knocked the price down a dollar or two
7. : lowercase
knocking down an initial letter that had been printed as a capital
intransitive verb
1. : to be adaptable to being knocked down
a portable device that easily knocks down
2. of wind or a body of water : to become tranquil : subside
the sea was knocking down steadily — R.F.Mirvish