knock

knock

A n

1 (blow) coup m ; a knock on the head un coup sur la tête ; to take a knock prendre un coup ; a knock with a hammer un coup de marteau ; a knock at the door un coup à la porte ; I'll give you a knock at 7.30 je frapperai à ta porte à 7 h 30 ; I thought I heard a knock je crois qu'on a frappé ;

2 onomat knock! knock! toc! toc! ;

3 fig (setback) coup m ; to take a knock en prendre un coup ; it gave his confidence a knock son assurance en a pris un coup ; I've had worse knocks j'ai subi pire que ça ; you must learn to take the knocks tu dois apprendre à encaisser ○ (les coups).

B vtr

1 (strike) cogner [object] ; to knock one's head/arm on sth se cogner la tête/le bras contre qch ; to knock sb on the head/arm with sth donner un coup sur la tête/le bras de qn avec qch ; to knock sb/sth into/against/across projeter qn/qch dans/contre/à travers ; to knock sb unconscious ou senseless ou silly ○ [person, object, blow] assommer qn ; to knock a hole in sth faire un trou dans qch ; to knock sth straight/flat redresser/aplatir qch ; to knock two rooms into one abattre la cloison entre deux pièces ;

2 (cause to move) to knock sth off ou out of sth faire tomber qch de qch ; to knock sb/sth over sth envoyer qn/qch par-dessus qch ; to knock sb/sth to the ground faire tomber qn/qch par terre ; she knocked the ball into the pond elle a envoyé la balle dans l'étang ; to knock a nail/peg into sth enfoncer un clou/une cheville dans qch ; to knock the handle off the jug casser l'anse du pot ; to knock sb off his feet [blast , wave] soulever qn ; to knock sb/sth out of the way écarter qn/qch ; to knock sb flat étendre qn par terre ;

3 (beat) to knock the enthusiasm/spirit out of sb faire perdre son enthousiasme/sa joie de vivre à qn ; I'll knock that stupid smile off his face je vais lui faire passer ce sourire stupide ; that will knock a bit of sense into him ça va peut-être lui inculquer un peu de bon sens ;

4 ○ (criticize) critiquer [method, opposition, achievement] ; dénigrer [person] ; don't knock it! hum arrête de critiquer!

C vi

1 (make sound) (involuntarily) [branch, object] cogner (on, against contre) ; (deliberately) [person] frapper (at, on à) ; [engine, water pipes] cogner ;

2 (collide) to knock into ou against sth heurter qch ; to knock into each other se heurter.

Idioms

his knees were knocking ses genoux tremblaient, tellement il avait peur ; to knock sth on the head ○ mettre fin à qch ; to be knocking on a bit ○ commencer à se faire vieux ; it must be knocking on ○ 30 years since… ça ne doit pas faire loin de 30 ans que… ; I'll knock your heads together! je vous ferai entendre raison!

Phrasal verbs

■ knock about ○ , knock around ○ :

▶ knock about traîner ;

▶ knock about [sth] [object] traîner dans [house, area] ; to knock about with sb ○ fréquenter qn ; to knock about together ○ [adults] se fréquenter ;

▶ knock [sb] about ○ malmener ;

▶ knock [sth] about

1 (buffet) [storm] ballotter [boat] ;

2 Sport let's just knock the ball about faisons juste des balles.

■ knock back :

▶ knock back [sth], knock [sth] back

1 (return) [player] renvoyer [ball] ;

2 ○ (swallow) descendre ○ [drink] ;

3 ○ (reject) rejeter [offer] ; refuser [invitation] ;

▶ knock [sb] back

1 (surprise) [news] secouer [person] ;

2 ○ (cost) that dress must have knocked her back a few quid ○ cette robe a dû lui coûter une fortune ;

3 (refuse) jeter ○ [person].

■ knock down :

▶ knock [sb/sth] down, knock down [sb/sth]

1 (cause to fall) (deliberately) [aggressor] jeter [qn] à terre [victim, opponent] ; [police] défoncer [door] ; [builder] abattre [building] ; (accidentally) [person, vehicle, animal] renverser [person, object] ; [lightning, wind] abattre [tree, fence] ; fig [person] abattre [obstacle, barrier] ;

2 (reduce) [buyer] faire baisser [price] ; [seller] baisser [price] ; I managed to knock him down by a few pounds j'ai réussi à le faire baisser de plusieurs livres ;

3 (allocate) [auctioneer] adjuger [lot].

■ knock in :

▶ knock [sth] in, knock in [sth] (deliberately) [person] planter [nail, peg] ; [golfer] rentrer ○ [ball] ; (accidentally) [blow] enfoncer [side, top].

■ knock into :

▶ knock into [sb/sth] heurter.

■ knock off :

▶ knock off ○ [worker] arrêter de travailler ;

▶ knock [sb/sth] off, knock off [sb/sth]

1 (cause to fall) [person, blow, force] faire tomber [person, object] ; [movement, blow] désarçonner [rider] ; [person] écarter [insect] ; [wind, person] décapiter [flower heads] ; [person, blow] desceller [handle, end, car mirror] ;

2 (reduce) I'll knock £10 off for you je vous ferai une réduction de 10 livres ; she wouldn't knock anything off elle ne voulait faire aucune réduction ; he knocked 20% off the bill il a déduit 20% de la note ;

3 ○ (steal) subtiliser [car, object] ;

4 ○ (stop) knock it off! ça suffit! ;

5 ◑ (have sex with) culbuter ◑ [person].

■ knock out :

▶ knock [sb/sth] out, knock out [sb/sth]

1 (dislodge) [person, blow] casser [tooth] ; [blast] souffler [window] ; [person, blow] arracher [peg, nail, support] ; [person] vider [contents] ;

2 (make unconscious) [person, blow] assommer [person, animal] ; [drug] endormir [person, animal] ; [boxer] mettre [qn] au tapis [opponent] ; don't drink the punch, it will knock you out! ne bois pas le punch, ça va t'assommer! ; all that walking has knocked him out ○ ça l'a épuisé de marcher si longtemps ;

3 (destroy) [enemy, shell] faire sauter [tank] ; [enemy, shell] mettre [qch] hors service [factory] ; [strike action, breakdown] paralyser [production, service] ;

4 Sport (eliminate) [competitor] éliminer [opponent, team] ;

5 Aut (straighten) [mechanic] redresser [dent, metal] ;

6 ○ (produce) [machine] débiter [quantity] ; [person] jouer [tune] ;

7 ○ (overwhelm) [performance, appearance, good news] émerveiller [person] ; [bad news] consterner ;

▶ knock oneself out

1 (become unconscious) s'assommer ;

2 ○ (become exhausted) s'éreinter ○ .

■ knock over :

▶ knock [sb/sth] over, knock over [sb/sth] [person, animal, vehicle, force] renverser [person, animal, object].

■ knock through Constr you could knock through into the dining-room vous pourriez abattre le mur de la salle à manger.

■ knock together :

▶ knock together [knees, objects] s'entrechoquer ;

▶ knock [sth] together, knock together [sth] ○

1 (create) bricoler [furniture, shelter] ; confectionner [meal] ; mettre [qch] sur pied [show, reception] ;

2 (bang together) cogner l'un contre l'autre ; they need their heads knocking together fig ils auraient besoin d'une bonne leçon.

■ knock up :

▶ knock up (in tennis) faire des balles (with avec) ;

▶ knock [sth] up, knock up [sth]

1 ○ (make) bricoler [furniture, shelter] ; confectionner [meal, outfit] ;

2 ○ Sport [competitor, player] totaliser [points] ; réaliser [score] ;

▶ knock [sb] up, knock up [sb]

1 (awaken) réveiller [person] ;

2 ○ (exhaust) mettre [qn] à plat ○ ;

3 ◑ (make pregnant) mettre [qn] en cloque ○ .

Big English-French dictionary. 2003.