knacker

plural knackers

1. One who makes knickknacks, toys, etc.

   Near-synonym: toymaker

   Synonyms: toymaker

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

   A Bachanalian dancing the Spanish Morisco, with knackers at his fingers.

   1649, William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle, The Variety

   Synonyms: clapper

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

   Plow-wright , Cart-wright, Knacker and Smith

   1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC

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

   Near-synonyms: slaughterer, slaughterman

   1 more example

   After a few years even the whip loses its virtue, and the pony goes to the knacker.

   1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XXII, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC

   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

   Synonyms: salvager, salvor, scrapper, wrecker, breaker, shipbreaker, car breaker

6. IrelandUKethnicoffensiveslurAn itinerant person, especially one of Irish Traveller heritage.
7. IrelandoffensiveslangA person of lower social class; a chav, skanger, or similar.

   Synonyms: dobber, scobe, adlay, bam, Barry boy, bazza, benny, bogan

8. UKin pluralslangvulgarA testicle.

   He looked like someone had put a 9mm full metal jacket round through his left scrotum. He even had his mouth open in some parody of a soundless scream, much as I imagined I would do if someone shot my left knacker off.

   2013, Perry Gamsby, Never Be Unsaid, page 136

9. An old, worn-out horse.

   Believe me, you can get an old knacker for cheap at the glue yard, but it won't carry you as far as a thoroughbred!

   2014, K. Bannerman, Mark of the Magpie, page 170

10. UKdialectalobsoleteA collier's horse.

present singular third person knackers · participle present knackering · participle past knackered · past knackered

1. UKslangtransitiveTo 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.

   1 more example

   That table that I was going to put the statue on may not suffice, as it's completely knackered.

2. UKslangtransitiveTo reprimand.