knocking
/ˈnɑkɪŋ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.88 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A repetitive ping, knock, or similar sound coming from an engine in which there are repeated uncontrolled explosions in the combustion chamber.
Example Sentences
- "These strange openings and closings and knockings were warnings and reminders from the spirits who attend the dying."
- "There was no response to continued knockings."
- "Recorded live to CD with new instrumentation--artillery shells, tuned suspension cables, boxes filled with springs--and deemphasized guitar parts, it's a beautiful collection of echoes and whispers, drones and knockings, with a gently swelling sense of the sinister."
- "Sir―I was greatly interested in a short article in The Motor Cycle on the subject of engine knocking."
- "Knocking can also occur at high speed, but that may go undetected by the driver."
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈnɑkɪŋ/
- British English: /ˈnɒkɪŋ/