Word of the Day
8 February 2026
knockoff
A device in a knitting machine to remove loops from the needles.
Why this one
A literal name in a trade full of them: the loop is knocked off the needle so the fabric can advance. Confusing in conversation with knockoff meaning a counterfeit copy, so context does the work.
In use
Fabric was hanging up on the cylinder, so I pulled the guard and had a look at the knockoff before blaming the yarn.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.