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# knacker

verb (knacker, knackers, knackered, knackering — slang, UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ); noun (a knacker, knackers)

«knacker» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (slang, UK) To knacker something is to break it or wear it out; to knacker someone is to make them very tired. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#m1)
2. (noun, old-fashioned, UK) A knacker is a person whose job is buying old or dead horses and turning them into meat, glue or other products; a knacker's yard is the place where this is done. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#m2)
3. (rude, Ireland) A knacker is an insulting word for a rough or badly behaved person; it is offensive, especially to Irish Travellers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#m3)
4. (rude, UK, plural «knackers») A slang word for testicles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#m4)

### In the lessons

It belongs to informal, rough speech in Britain, Ireland, Australia and NZ. In stories with real speech it tells the reader someone is very tired or something is broken. «Ready for the knacker's yard» jokingly means too old or worn out to be useful. Phrases: knacker yourself, the knacker's yard.

### Examples

- (slang) Don't knacker yourself on the first lap. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#x1)
- (slang) I've knackered my knee playing football. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#x2)
- That long walk knackered me out. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#x3)
- The old horse was sent to the knacker's yard. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#x4)
- (humorous) This old car is ready for the knacker's yard. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#x5)
- (slang) He knackered the printer by jamming paper in it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/#x6)

### Note

Slang and partly rude. The Irish insult sense is offensive and must not be used about people. The body-part sense is rude. In polite or exam writing, use «tire out», «wear out» or «break». Most common form: knackered (very tired).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «knacker» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knacker/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«knacker» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/knacker.html) on Mova free.