Definition of "knacker" in English

noun

1. One who makes knickknacks, toys, etc.

   • Near-synonym: toymaker

2. One of two or more pieces of bone or wood held loosely between the fingers, and struck together by moving the hand.

3. (archaic) A harnessmaker or saddlemaker; their place of business (e.g., saddlery).

4. One who slaughters and (especially) renders worn-out livestock (especially horses) and sells their flesh, bones and hides.

   • Near-synonyms: slaughterer, slaughterman

5. One who dismantles old ships, houses, etc. and sells their components.

   • Near-synonyms: salvager, salvor; scrapper, wrecker, breaker; shipbreaker, car breaker

6. (Ireland, British, ethnic slur, offensive) An itinerant person, especially one of Irish Traveller heritage.

7. (Ireland, offensive, slang) A person of lower social class; a chav, skanger, or similar.

8. (UK, slang, vulgar, chiefly in the plural) A testicle.

9. An old, worn-out horse.

10. (UK, dialect, obsolete) A collier's horse.

verb

1. (UK, slang, transitive) To tire out, exhaust; to beat up and use up (something), leaving it worn out and damaged.

   • Carrying that giant statue up those stairs completely knackered me.
   • That table that I was going to put the statue on may not suffice, as it's completely knackered.

2. (UK, slang, transitive) To reprimand.