Dictionary

knock up en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /nɒk ʌp/

Meanings

1. (colloquial) To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily.
   • I'll just knock up a quick demo for the sales presentation.
2. (UK) To awaken (someone) as by knocking at the door; rouse; call; summon; also, to go door-to-door on election day to persuade a candidate's supporters to go to the polling station and vote. See also knocker up.
   • “Very sorry to knock you up, Watson,” said he, “but it's the common lot this morning. Mrs. Hudson has been knocked up, she retorted upon me, and I on you.” 1892, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, page 1:
   • ‘I didn't knock you up when I came in,’ Peregrine said. ‘There seemed no point. It was getting light. I just thought I’d leave the note to wake me at seven. And oddly enough I did sleep. Heavily.’ 1966, Ngaio Marsh, Death at the Dolphin, page 160:
   • However, by dint of beating about a little in the dark, and now and then knocking up a peaceable inhabitant to inquire the way, we at last came to something which there was no mistaking. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 15”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
3. (dated) To exhaust; wear out; tire out; to fatigue until unable to do more.
   • ‘Now, mamma,’ he said, when he went out, ‘take notice, you are not to knock up your god-daughter with gossip,’ [...] 1835, Charlotte Brontë, chapter XVII, in Villette:
   • The day being exceedingly hot, the want of food had knocked up my followers […] 1861, John Petherick, Egypt, the Soudan and Central Africa, page 389:
4. (dated, intransitive) To become exhausted or worn out; to fail of strength; to become wearied, as with labor; to give out.
   • I met one of your dons at tea, and he said that your degree was not in the least a proof of your abilities: he said that you knocked up and got flurried in examinations. 1907, E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part I, VII [Uniform ed., p. 87]
   • […] the horses were beginning to knock up under the fatigue of such severe service […] 1856, Thomas de Quincey, Memorials, page 81:
5. (US, slang) To impregnate, especially out of wedlock or accidentally. See knocked up.
   • “And how many other girls has he knocked up?” “Would you keep your voice down? Mom's home.” She pressed her hands to her head. “I just don't understand how you could ditch Rowan and get knocked up by Scott, like, right away.” 2015, Jaime Loren, Waiting for April, Pan, →ISBN:
   • I guess his summer plans are shot now that he knocked his girlfriend up.
6. (intransitive, qualifier:racket sports) To gently hit the ball back and forth before a tennis match, as practice or warm-up, and to gauge the state of the playing surface, lighting, etc. See knock-up.
   • The Tennis & Rackets Association - Tournament Rules Official Knock up: if the players knock up together a maximum of five minutes shall be permitted; if they knock up separately each player shall be permitted to knock up for a maximum of five minutes.
7. To make even at the edges, or to shape into book form.
   • to knock up printed sheets
8. To straighten up a stack of paper.

Forms

Deriveds

knockup · knock-up

Relateds

knocking shop · knocked up · knocker-up · knocker-upper

Synonyms

construct (to put together) · bring round (to awaken someone) · tire (to become exhausted) · wear down · tire (to exhaust) · kludge (if hasty) · knock together · run up · wake up · wear out · get with child (to impregnate) · weary (to become exhausted)

Translations (21)

cs rozpinkat se (to practice or warm up before a tennis match) · de erschöpfen (to exhaust, wear out) · it palleggiare (to practice or warm up before a tennis match) · pl zamęczyć (to exhaust, wear out) · pl rozgrzać się (to practice or warm up before a tennis match) · fr engrosser (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · pl rozgrzewać się (to practice or warm up before a tennis match) · ru де́лать бере́менной (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · cs zbouchnout (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · pl zapładniać (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · de aufwärmen (to practice or warm up before a tennis match) · fi panna paksuksi (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · ru разминаться (to practice or warm up before a tennis match) · fr encloquer (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · ru обрюха́тить (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · pl zapłodnić (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · es hacer un bombo (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · cs rozehrát se (to practice or warm up before a tennis match) · de schwängern (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock) · pl zamęczać (to exhaust, wear out) · ru сде́лать бере́менной (to impregnate, especially out of wedlock)