Definition

Noun: - A substance, typically chloral hydrate mixed with alcohol, used to surreptitiously render a person unconscious: The term refers to a drug or combination of drugs secretly added to a drink to cause the drinker to lose consciousness rapidly.

Usage

• The term is used specifically to describe a substance used for the covert act of drugging someone's beverage.
• It is almost always used in a criminal or malicious context.
• It functions as a plural noun (e.g., "knockout drops were used") but refers to a single dose or type of substance.

Examples

• The detective suspected the victim's drink had been laced with knockout drops.
• In old crime novels, villains often used knockout drops to incapacitate their targets.
• She warned her friend never to leave a drink unattended at the bar, for fear of knockout drops.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The phrase "knockout drops" was more common in early to mid-20th-century parlance, often associated with chloral hydrate ("Mickey Finn" is a related slang term).
• Figurative Use: While rare, it can be used hyperbolically to describe something overwhelmingly potent or sleep-inducing.
  • That long, boring lecture was like intellectual knockout drops.

Variants and Related Words

• Mickey Finn (noun, slang): A surreptitiously administered intoxicating or drugged drink.
• Chloral hydrate (noun): The specific sedative-hypnotic drug historically used in knockout drops.

Synonyms

• Drugged drink
• Soporific (in this specific, malicious context)
• Narcotic (when referring to the substance used)

Important Notes

• "Knockout drops" is a fixed compound noun. The word "knockout" alone is an adjective or noun with different meanings (e.g., a stunning blow, a very attractive person, a tournament elimination).
• This term describes a method of assault and is associated with serious crimes like robbery or sexual assault.

Noun

1. chloral hydrate in combination with alcohol; usually administered surreptitiously to make the drinker unconscious