Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person whose business is the disposal of dead or unwanted animals, especially old horses, for slaughter and rendering: A knacker traditionally buys old or worn-out horses to be killed, with the carcasses often processed for products like animal feed or glue.
   • A person who buys old structures (like buildings or ships) to demolish them and sell the materials: In this sense, a knacker deals in the salvage and recycling of materials from derelict property or vessels.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The old mare was sold to the knacker. (The old female horse was sold to the person who buys animals for slaughter.)
  • He worked as a knacker, breaking down decommissioned ships for scrap metal. (His job involved dismantling old ships to recover the materials in them.)

Advanced Usage and Notes

• The term knacker is primarily used in British and Irish English. In modern contexts, it can carry negative or grim connotations due to its association with animal slaughter and demolition.
• "Knacker's yard" is a common compound phrase referring to the place where animals are slaughtered or where old structures are broken up.
  • The injured racehorse was sent to the knacker's yard.

Variants and Related Words

• Knackered (adjective, informal, chiefly British): Extremely tired or exhausted. This common slang term is derived from the idea of being as worn out as a horse fit for the knacker.
  • After the long hike, I was completely knackered.

Synonyms

• Horse slaughterer
• Salvager (for the demolition sense)
• Scrap dealer (for the demolition sense)

Idioms and Phrases

• "Ready for the knacker's yard": Used figuratively to describe a person, animal, or thing that is extremely old, worn out, or no longer functional.
  • After twenty years of hard service, that old truck is ready for the knacker's yard.

Noun

1. someone who buys up old horses for slaughter
2. someone who buys old buildings or ships and breaks them up to recover the materials in them