Definition of 'pocket'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present
tense pockets
, present participle pocketing
, past tense, past participle pocketed
1. countable noun [oft poss NOUN, noun NOUN]
A pocket is a kind of small bag which forms part of a piece of clothing, and which is used
for carrying small things such as money or a handkerchief.
He took his flashlight from his jacket pocket and switched it on.
The man stood with his hands in his pockets.
2. countable noun
You can use pocket in a lot of different ways to refer to money that people have, get, or spend. For example, if someone gives or pays a lot of money, you can say that they dig deep into their pocket. If you approve of something because it is very cheap to buy, you can say that it suits people's pockets.
It really is worth digging deep into your pocket for the best you can afford.
...ladies' fashions to suit all shapes, sizes and pockets.
You would be buying a piece of history as well as a boat, if you put your hand in
your pocket for this one.
We don't believe that they have the economic reforms in place which would justify
putting huge sums of Western money into their pockets.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
4. countable noun
A pocket of something is a small area where something is happening, or a small area which has a particular quality, and which is different from the
other areas around it.
He survived the earthquake after spending 3 days in an air pocket.
The army controls the city apart from a few pockets of resistance. [+ of]
5. verb
If someone who is in possession of something valuable such as a sum of money pockets it, they steal it or take it for themselves, even though it does not belong to them.
Dishonest importers would be able to pocket the VAT collected from customers. [VERB noun]
6. verb
If you say that someone pockets something such as a prize or sum of money, you mean that they win or obtain it, often
without needing to make much effort or in a way that seems unfair.
[journalism] He pocketed more money from this tournament than in his entire three years as a professional. [VERB noun]
7. verb
11.
12. See also out-of-pocket
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of 'pocket'
noun
2.
any bag or pouch or anything resembling this
3.
b.
the ore in such a place
5. billiards, snooker
6.
a position in a race in which a competitor is hemmed in
7. sport
an area of the field where a player is shielded from opponents and has an opportunity to control attacking play
8. Australian Rules football
a player in one of two side positions at the ends of the ground
back pocket
forward pocket
10. in one's pocket
11. in pocket
12. out of pocket
verb -ets, -eting or -eted (transitive)
16.
to put into one's pocket
17.
to take surreptitiously or unlawfully; steal
19.
21. billiards, snooker
to drive (a ball) into a pocket
22. US
(esp of the President) to retain (a bill) without acting on it in order to prevent it from becoming law
See also pocket veto23.
to hem in (an opponent), as in racing
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
adjective
pocketless (ˈpocketless)
adjective
Word origin of 'pocket'
noun
1. Archaic
a sack, esp. when used to measure something
2.
a.
a little bag or pouch, now usually sewn into or on clothing, for carrying money and small articles
b.
any usually small container, compartment, enclosure, etc.
3.
a cavity that holds or can hold something
4.
a small area or group of a specified type
a pocket of poverty
5.
a confining or frustrating situation
7.
a position of being hemmed in by other contestants so as to be held back
11. American Football
the protected area behind the offensive line, from which the quarterback passes the ball
adjective
15.
a.
that is or can be carried in a pocket
b.
smaller than standard
verb transitive
17.
to put into a pocket
18.
to provide with a pocket or pockets
19.
to envelop; enclose
20.
to take dishonestly; appropriate (money, profits, etc.) for one's own use
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'pocket'
Example sentences containing 'pocket'
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
Read more…
He earned pocket money as an assistant tennis coach. Times, Sunday Times (2016)Is that really a knife in his back pocket? Times, Sunday Times (2016)They may not have dug too deep into their pockets. The Sun (2016)But he insists he is happy to keep his money in his pocket until the summer. The Sun (2016)Pocket Living is one such company. Times, Sunday Times (2016)Think how much you'd miss those giant pockets big enough to carry a sandwich and a Coke. Times, Sunday Times (2016)Tax cuts will leave more in people 's pockets to spend and $1 trillion of infrastructure investment will reinforce demand for labour for a decade. Times, Sunday Times (2017)A weaker pound forces up inflation because imported goods become more expensive, taking money out of people 's pockets for spending elsewhere. Times, Sunday Times (2017)The most interesting nights you get different pockets within one audience feeling those things. Times, Sunday Times (2010)Some are small enough to fit in a pocket. Times, Sunday Times (2011)It was a big player with deep pockets. Times, Sunday Times (2015)The move was blasted last night amid fears it is to mask the huge sums they pocket. The Sun (2015)Why would you not want to have that in your back pocket? Times, Sunday Times (2012) Deep pockets do not ease dark nights. Times, Sunday Times (2013)The company is big enough and has deep enough pockets to absorb the shocks. Times, Sunday Times (2014)These smaller devices are easier to fit in a bag or pocket. Times, Sunday Times (2013)The sight of that red tab on the back pocket triggers something that is well worth triggering. Times, Sunday Times (2014)The ring was in his pocket and he put it back on. The Sun (2014)Pocket calculators existed before there were floppy disks. Infinite in All Directions (1989)They have two large pockets which are positioned behind the saddle flap on either side. Your First Horse - buying, feeding, caring (1989)Anything small enough to fit into a pocket or handbag should be stashed away until they leave. Times, Sunday Times (2015)It must be so nice to have pocket money! Little Women (1869)Staff are furious that their benefits are being crunched while top brass pocket huge sums. The Sun (2010)It comes from completely different pockets. Times, Sunday Times (2008)Now it's just pockets of people. Times, Sunday Times (2008)That's a lot of pocket money. Times, Sunday Times (2008)Yet both players pocketed a cheque for 850,000. The Sun (2009)Before pockets there were pouches. Times, Sunday Times (2011)I can't love anything that isn't a pocket edition. Christianity Today (2000)
Trends of 'pocket'
In Common Usage. pocket is one of the 10000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary
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Translations for 'pocket'
British English: pocket
/ˈpɒkɪt/ NOUN
A pocket is a small bag or pouch that forms part of a piece of clothing.
...his jacket pocket.
- American English: pocket
- Arabic: جَيْب
- Brazilian Portuguese: bolso
- Chinese: 衣袋
- Croatian: džep
- Czech: kapsa
- Danish: lomme
- Dutch: zak in kleding
- European Spanish: bolsillo
- Finnish: tasku
- French: poche
- German: Tasche Bekleidung
- Greek: τσέπη
- Italian: tasca
- Japanese: ポケット
- Korean: 주머니
- Norwegian: lomme
- Polish: kieszeń
- European Portuguese: bolso
- Romanian: buzunar
- Russian: карман
- Spanish: bolsillo
- Swedish: ficka
- Thai: กระเป๋า
- Turkish: cep
- Ukrainian: кишеня
- Vietnamese: túi
British English: pocket ADJECTIVE
You use pocket to describe something that is small enough to fit into a pocket, often something that is a smaller version of a larger item.
...a pocket calculator.
British English: pocket VERB
If someone who is in possession of something valuable such as a sum of money pockets it, they steal it or take it for themselves, even though it does not belong to them.
Banks have passed some of the savings on to customers and pocketed the rest.
Nearby words of 'pocket'
Related Terms of 'pocket'
Source
Definition of pocket from the
Collins English Dictionary
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