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noun
1A metal or wooden object hinged to a door and rapped by visitors to attract attention and gain entry.
- ‘Brighton lifted the brass knocker on the door, and let it drop.’
- ‘Someone started to ring the doorbell while someone else was banging the knocker.’
- ‘She walked up to the door and banged the knocker once.’
- ‘Stepping resolutely forward, the red-head lifted the heavy brass knocker.’
- ‘He lifted the heavy knocker and knocked again.’
- 1.1informal A person who buys or sells from door to door, especially with intent to deceive.
2informal A person who continually finds fault.
- ‘He may have his legion of knockers who scoff at his lack of goals compared with his wage packet.’
- ‘But the knockers were silenced when Wigan claimed their first piece of silverware in four years, thanks to a 21-12 success over their bitter rivals.’
- ‘That is the policy of the knockers and the naggers.’
- ‘Grant's gritty man-of-the-match performance against Crewe on Saturday was the perfect answer to criticism from manager Stan Ternent and the knockers in the Turf Moor stands.’
- ‘The 10-year-old survived yet another season of calls for his retirement, thwarting his knockers with four victories, which took his career earnings past the £1m mark.’
- ‘Such a scenario is meat and drink to the increasing band of media knockers seemingly intent on dismissing Bolton's chances of avoiding the drop.’
- ‘Fallon, badly injured in a fall at Royal Ascot last June, resumed riding in Dubai over the winter, but has had his share of knockers since returning to Britain last month.’
- ‘What do the Bush detractors and the America knockers say now?’
- ‘The fiery Welshman has his knockers just like Windass.’
- ‘The critics and the knockers were out in force to quickly write off their chances.’
critic, disparager, denigrator, deprecator, belittler, attacker, censurer, fault-finder, carper, backbiter, caviller, reviler, vilifier, slanderer, libeller, calumniator, defamer, traducerView synonyms3knockersvulgar slang A woman's breasts.
mammary gland, mammaView synonyms4British dialect (in folklore) a spirit or goblin believed to inhabit mines and indicate the location of ore by knocking.
Phrases
on the knocker
1informal Going from door to door canvassing, buying, or selling.
- ‘I would be out on the knocker canvassing for Dave Nellist if I could.’
- ‘Candidates on the knocker found crime and youth nuisance were the main issues concerning voters - with the health service and cash for schools also high priorities.’
2informal (of payment) immediately; on demand.
‘he has to pay cash on the knocker’- ‘They make up 89 percent of the payers, and they pay on the knocker every time.’
punctually, on time, on the dot, on the nailView synonyms
