knacker

American  

[nak-er] / ˈnæk ər /

noun

British.

1. a person who buys animal carcasses or slaughters useless livestock for a knackery or rendering works.

2. a person who buys and dismembers old houses, ships, etc., to salvage usable parts, selling the rest as scrap.

3. Dialect. an old, sick, or useless farm animal, especially a horse.

4. Obsolete. a harness maker; a saddler.

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knacker British  

/ ˈnækə /

noun

1. a person who buys up old horses for slaughter

2. a person who buys up old buildings and breaks them up for scrap

3. slang (usually plural) another word for testicle

4. slang a despicable person

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verb

1. slang (tr; usually passive) to exhaust; tire

Etymology

Origin of knacker

1565–75; knack (< Scandinavian; compare Icelandic hnakkr nape of the neck, saddle) + -er ¹

Example Sentences

One of the first things he said was: "I'm worried that the radiotherapy might seriously knacker my voice. I'm a stand-up, so this treatment could save my life, but kill my career."

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2024

She worked so hard to prove them wrong that "I used to knacker myself senseless", she said.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2024

Their team are still hot favourites to go through, but have done their level best to knacker things up for themselves.

From The Guardian • Mar. 8, 2016

A couple of looseners would no doubt further knacker the Liverpool duo ahead of the big game, and possibly trick them into revealing Shankly's tactics too.

From The Guardian • Feb. 4, 2011

But the explanation was really very simple.The van had previously been the property of the knacker, and had been bought by the veterinary surgeon, who had not yet painted the old name out.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell