knocking box
n.— «The three pigs are released into a chute that guides them into the building and directly into what is called a “knocking box.” The knocking box is a tall concrete box with an entrance from the outside, a gate across the front and stairs running up the side of it. At the top of the stairs, two rifles are mounted on the wall. The floor is streaked with blood. This is the animals” first step onto the kill floor.» —“Gone to market” by Andrea Weigl News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) Aug. 14, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
“What has a head like a cat, feet like a cat, a tail like a cat, but isn’t a cat?” Answer: a kitten! A 1948 children’s joke book has lots of these to share with kids. Plus: an easy explanation for the difference between...
When you had sleepovers as a child, what did you call the makeshift beds you made on the floor? In some places, you call those bedclothes and blankets a pallet. This word comes from an old term for “straw.” And: What’s the story...