knock over — to cause something to fall down by hitting or pushing it
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to cause something to fall down by hitting or pushing it
Pronunciation (IPA): /nɑːk ˈoʊvər/
Example Sentences
- My cat knocked over my coffee mug and gave me a look like it was my fault.
- The strong wind knocked over all the trash cans on the street.
- He tried to impress everyone by doing a backflip but knocked over three people instead.
knock over
VERB[/nɑːk ˈoʊvər/]
to cause something to fall down by hitting or pushing it
to cause something to fall down by hitting or pushing it
One shock over makes dominoes knock over and rock over!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The verb 'knock' derives from Old English 'cnocian', meaning 'to strike or rap', while 'over' comes from Old English 'ofer', meaning 'from above to below'. The combination of these two terms evolved to denote the action of striking something with sufficient force to cause it to fall or overturn.
Breakdown
knock (from Old English cnocian, 'to strike') + over (from Old English ofer, 'above/across'), literally combining the sense of striking with directional motion to mean 'to cause to fall by striking'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat knocked over my coffee mug and gave me a look like it was my fault.”
“The strong wind knocked over all the trash cans on the street.”
“He tried to impress everyone by doing a backflip but knocked over three people instead.”
“Please don't knock over the display while you're shopping.”
📚Related Words
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