knockdown vs telltale

knockdown

noun
  • The condition of a sailboat being pushed abruptly to horizontal, with the mast parallel to the water surface. 

  • An act of knocking down or the condition of being knocked down. 

  • A shelter erected for use as a temporary dressing room. 

  • A collection of parts required to assemble a product, typically manufactured in one region and exported elsewhere for assembly. 

  • a short pass played downwards, for example from the head onto someone's feet. 

  • A genetically modified organism that carries one or more genes in its chromosomes that have been made less active or had their expression reduced. 

  • The use of a reagent such as an oligonucleotide with sequence complementary to an active gene or its mRNA transcript, to interfere with the expression of said gene. 

  • An overwhelming blow. 

verb
  • To employ the knockdown technique 

adj
  • To be formed into a head by upsetting in fastening. 

  • reduced in price, originally to a price below which an article would not be sold by the auctioneer 

  • powerful enough to overwhelm or knock down 

  • Capable of being taken apart for packing or removal. 

telltale

noun
  • A length of yarn or ribbon attached to a sail or shroud etc to indicate the direction of the flow of the air relative to the boat. 

  • A bird, the tattler. 

  • A story or fable that has a moral or message. 

  • Something that serves to reveal something else. 

  • One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others. 

  • A mechanical attachment to the steering wheel, which, in the absence of a tiller, shows the position of the helm. 

  • Tattletale; squealer. 

  • A movable piece of ivory, lead, or other material, connected to the bellows of an organ, whose position indicates when the wind is exhausted. 

  • A machine or contrivance for indicating or recording something, particularly for keeping a check upon employees (factory hands, watchmen, drivers, etc.) by revealing to their employers what they have done or omitted. 

  • An indicator, such as a warning light, that serves to warn of a hazard or problem. 

  • A compass in the cabin of a vessel, usually placed where the captain can see it at all hours, and thus inform himself of the vessel's course. 

adj
  • Revealing something, especially something not intended to be known. 

How often have the words knockdown and telltale occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )