to knock about
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: to knock around
Meaning · English
To wander about itown "seeing life" and enjoying oneself.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to knock about” mean?
To wander about itown "seeing life" and enjoying oneself.
Is “to knock about” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.