spark out

English

Adjective

spark out (not comparable)

1. (UK) Completely asleep or unconscious.
   • 2008, Michael Lutwyche and Steven Fowler, Hardcore, VHC Publishing, "Birmingham City Vs Aston Villa Division 2 12th December 1987":

     I steamed in and was promptly knocked spark out by one of them. I came round just in time to see them running for the exit.

   • 2011, Val McDermid, The Retribution, Atlantic Monthly Press, page 7:

     You were asleep. I came home from work and saw you. I thought you might not have intended to spend the whole night spark out in the car.

   • 2012, Thomas Appleby, Life in the Harsh Lane: The Nine Lives, Mishaps, and Adventures of a No-Body, Xlibris, page 125:

     This ended in tears for him, the wrong person was one of our friends, Errol, who was then serving in the army, the husband attacked him at Ken's flat and Errol knocked him spark out, having no clue what this guy was going on about.

Alternative forms

• sparko

Verb

spark out (third-person singular simple present sparks out, present participle sparking out, simple past and past participle sparked out)

1. (transitive, colloquial) To render unconscious; to knock out.
   • 2017 October 29, Nick Parkinson, “Eddie Hearn wants Anthony Joshua to make three title defences in 2018”, in espn.co.uk‎^[1]:

     "I didn't care if I sparked him out or it went 12 rounds, but people wanted to see him unconscious."

   • 2019 June 18, Steve Creswell, “Ellesmere Port man threatened to 'spark out' police officer in Chester”, in Chester Standard:

     A YOUNG man from Ellesmere Port had to be sprayed with tear gas after he threatened to “spark out” a police officer, a court heard.

   • 2022 March 13, Joseph McBride, “Robbie Keane sparked out Edgar Davids in training bust-up”, in Daily Star:

     Tottenham had a power struggle when Edgar Davids joined in 2005, but Robbie Keane was quick to show him who the main guy was as he sparked him out during a training bust-up.