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Knock vs Flail - What's the difference?

knock | flail | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between knock and flail

is that knock is an abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a hard object against wood while flail is a tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.

As verbs the difference between knock and flail

is that knock is to rap one's knuckles against something, especially wood while flail is to beat using a flail or similar implement.

knock

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a hard object against wood
  • I heard a knock on my door.
  • An impact.
  • He took a knock on the head.
  • (figurative) criticism
  • * 2012 , Tom Lamont, How Mumford & Sons became the biggest band in the world'' (in ''The Daily Telegraph , 15 November 2012)[http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/nov/15/mumford-sons-biggest-band-world]
  • Since forming in 2007 Mumford & Sons have hard-toured their way to a vast market for throaty folk that's strong on banjo and bass drum. They have released two enormous albums. But, wow, do they take some knocks back home.
  • (cricket) a batsman's innings.
  • He played a slow but sure knock of 35.
  • (automotive) Preignition, a type of abnormal combustion occurring in spark ignition engines caused by self-ignition or the characteristic knocking sound associated with it.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (dated) To rap one's knuckles against something, especially wood.
  • Knock on the door and find out if they're home.
  • (dated) To strike for admittance; to rap upon, as a door.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Master, knock the door hard.
  • (ambitransitive, dated) To bump or impact.
  • I knocked against the table and bruised my leg.
    I accidentally knocked my drink off the bar.
  • * 1900 , L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Chapter 23
  • "The Silver Shoes," said the Good Witch, "have wonderful powers. And one of the most curious things about them is that they can carry you to any place in the world in three steps, and each step will be made in the wink of an eye. All you have to do is to knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go."
  • (colloquial) To denigrate, undervalue.
  • Don't knock it until you've tried it.
  • (soccer) To pass, kick a ball towards another player.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=January 11 , author=Jonathan Stevenson , title=West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Despite enjoying more than their fair share of possession the visitors did not look like creating anything, with their lack of a killer ball painfully obvious as they harmlessly knocked the ball around outside the home side's box without ever looking like they would hurt them. }}

    Derived terms

    * knock someone's block off * knock someone's socks off

    Derived terms

    * antiknock * knock about * knock around * knock down * knock for a loop * knock it off * knock knock * knock off / knockoff * knock oneself out * knock somebody's socks off * knock out / knockout * knock over * knock up * knocked up * knocker * knocker up * knocking shop * school of hard knocks English onomatopoeias 1000 English basic words

    flail

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
  • A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.
  • Quotations
    * 1631 — *: When in one night, ere glimpse of morn,
    His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn
    That ten day-labourers could not end; * 1816 — *: Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
    Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail * 1842 — *: On him alone the curse of Cain
    Fell, like a flail on the garnered grain,
    And struck him to the earth! * 1879 — , ch V *: If the farmer must use the spade because he has not capital enough for a plough, the sickle instead of the reaping machine, the flail instead of the thresher...

    Coordinate terms

    *(weapon) nunchaku

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To beat using a flail or similar implement.
  • To wave or swing vigorously
  • *
  • * 1937 , ,
  • He stopped in his tracks – then, flailing his arms wildly in the air, began to stagger backwards.
  • To thresh.
  • To move like a flail.
  • He was flailing wildly, but didn't land a blow.

    Synonyms

    * thrash

    See also

    * (wikipedia "flail") *