Meanings
nounknockemdowns (uncountable)
- UKarchaicuncountableThe game of tenpins.
'O, never fear,' carelessly; 'I'll have a turn at the knockemdowns, and one glass of ale in the booth, and then I'm your man.'
1874, Belgravia: A London Magazine, volume 24, page 3251 more example
In knockemdowns and bowls ten pins are used, the centre one being called the king, and the ball has to be grounded before it reaches the frame.
1878, John Henry Walsh, British Rural Sports, page 712
Origin
From knock them down with plural -s.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
knockemdowns. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knockemdowns
MLA
“knockemdowns.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knockemdowns. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “knockemdowns,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knockemdowns.
Source: knockemdowns on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.