Knockoffs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Imitations or replicas that are designed to resemble original products, often produced without permission
2. Products created to mimic the appearance and style of branded items, typically made with inferior quality
3. Unauthorized copies of fashionable goods that aim to replicate the look rather than the brand authenticity

Etymology: "Knockoffs" is the plural of "knockoff," a noun built from the phrasal verb "knock off." The verb has a long history of meaning to copy, cheapen, or dash off something quickly, and the noun grew out of that sense of making a quick, cheap copy. The noun is formed by turning the phrasal verb into a compound, which is why the two words in the phrase fuse into a single term. The modern sense, an unauthorized imitation of a fashionable item that copies its look without its brand's authenticity, follows naturally from that older idea of knocking out a copy. The emphasis falls on speed and low cost rather than on deception about origin, though the two often travel together. Because the term describes the product rather than the act, it is used mostly as a noun and is applied to clothing, accessories, and other goods sold as imitations of luxury or designer items.

Synonyms: imitations, replicas, copies, fakes, counterfeits