knacker

[ nak-er ]

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.

knacker

/ 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

verb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of knacker¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of knacker¹

C16: probably from nacker saddler, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse hnakkur saddle

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

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

From BBC

"But it's like a classic thing... like if you were sitting at a table and someone took your food, you'd be like: 'Ah, ya knacker'."

From BBC

Some of Mr Johnson's MPs describe the whole thing as "incoherent and elitist", with the government's own green policy at home threatening to "knacker us at the election".

From BBC

Alternatively, you could waste £12m on a reserve striker who knackers his hamstring after two games and goes back home on loan in the summer.

From BBC