knockout

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports

n. a competition where a player or team is removed after losing one game.

n. a tournament format in which the loser of each match is immediately eliminated from the competition.

“Our local team was eliminated in the first round of the knockout.”

“The knockout stages of the tournament often produce more dramatic results because there is no margin for error in a single-elimination format.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. someone who is extremely attractive or beautiful.

n. an exceptionally attractive or impressive person, often used to describe a woman.

“Everyone turned to look when she walked in; she was a total knockout.”

“The lead actress was a complete knockout, though critics argued that her performance lacked the depth required for such a complex role.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical

n. the process of turning off a specific gene in a living thing for science.

n. the genetic engineering technique of deactivating a specific gene to observe the resulting phenotypic changes.

“The scientists used a gene knockout to study how the heart develops.”

“By creating a knockout mouse, the researchers were able to demonstrate that the specific protein was essential for long-term memory formation.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

adj. extremely impressive, beautiful, or successful.

adj. strikingly attractive or impressive; having a powerful effect.

“She wore a knockout dress to the awards ceremony.”

“The marketing team delivered a knockout presentation that secured the contract despite stiff competition from larger agencies.”