a shaped piece of fabric attached inside or outside a garment and forming a pouch used especially for carrying small articles.
a bag or pouch.
means; financial resources: a selection of gifts to fit every pocket.
any pouchlike receptacle, compartment, hollow, or cavity.
an envelope, receptacle, etc., usually of heavy paper and open at one end, used for storing or preserving photographs, stamps, phonograph records, etc.: Each album has 12 pockets.
a recess, as in a wall, for receiving a sliding door, sash weights, etc.
any isolated group, area, element, etc., contrasted, as in status or condition, with a surrounding element or group: pockets of resistance; a pocket of poverty in the central city.
Mining.
a small orebody or mass of ore, frequently isolated.
a bin for ore or rock storage.
a raise or small slope fitted with chute gates.
Billiards, Pool. any of the pouches or bags at the corners and sides of the table.
a position in which a competitor in a race is so hemmed in by others that his or her progress is impeded.
Football. the area from which a quarterback throws a pass, usually a short distance behind the line of scrimmage and protected by a wall of blockers.
Bowling. the space between the headpin and the pin next behind to the left or right, taken as the target for a strike.
Baseball. the deepest part of a mitt or glove, roughly in the area around the center of the palm, where most balls are caught.
Nautical. a holder consisting of a strip of sailcloth sewed to a sail, and containing a thin wooden batten that stiffens the leech of the sail.
Anatomy. any saclike cavity in the body: a pus pocket.
stage pocket.
an English unit of weight for hops equivalent to 168 pounds (76.4 kilograms).
adjective
small enough or suitable for carrying in the pocket: a pocket watch.
relatively small; smaller than usual: a pocket war; a pocket country.
verb (used with object)
to put into one's pocket: to pocket one's keys.
to take possession of as one's own, often dishonestly: to pocket public funds.
to submit to or endure without protest or open resentment: to pocket an insult.
to conceal or suppress: to pocket one's pride.
to enclose or confine in or as if in a pocket: The town was pocketed in a small valley.
Billiards, Pool. to drive (a ball) into a pocket.
pocket-veto.
to hem in (a contestant) so as to impede progress, as in racing.
Idioms for pocket
in one's pocket, in one's possession; under one's influence: He has the audience in his pocket.
line one's pockets, to profit, especially at the expense of others: While millions were fighting and dying, the profiteers were lining their pockets.
out of pocket,
having suffered a financial loss; poorer: He had made unwise land purchases, and found himself several thousand dollars out of pocket.
lacking money.
Informal.not available; unreachable: I'll be out of pocket all afternoon.
Origin of pocket
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English poket, from Old North French (Picard ) poquet (Old French pochet, pochette ), diminutive of poque, from Middle Dutch poke “bag, pocket”; see poke2, -et
SYNONYMS FOR pocket
21 steal, pilfer, appropriate, filch.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR pocket ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM pocket
pock·et·less,adjectivepock·et·like,adjectiveun·pock·et,verb (used with object)
I was already over forty, had hardly a nickel in my pocket and this was the biggest break in my life.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This leaves thousands of women at companies across the United States left to pay out of pocket for their birth control.
The 26 Next Hobby Lobbys|Abby Haglage|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And then I reach into my pocket and plug in another quarter.
‘Asteroids’ & The Dawn of the Gamer Age|David Owen|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Above the notes of praise is a small photo of Guerin wearing a polka dot tie and pocket square, staring at you like a sociopath.
The Multimillion ‘Clairvoyance by Mail’ Scam|Jacob Siegel|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How far will that $1 in your pocket take you in Canada, Australia, or Hong Kong?
How Far Does $1 Go Around The World?|The Daily Beast Video|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The man drew a large leather purse from the pocket of his blouse, and answered, "I have money."
Les Misrables|Victor Hugo
He took one hand out of his pocket and pointed woodenly to the right.
A College Girl|Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
Her father released her, took out his pocket handkerchief, and sat down on the stairs with his head against the wall.
Bleak House|Charles Dickens
Shure, they were bad enough to say he was puttin' the money in his own pocket, and dem goin' to their juty every month.
My New Curate|P.A. Sheehan
But Peggy was by this time in the midst of her researches for her pocket, so she did not argue the point.
Little Miss Peggy|Mrs. Molesworth
British Dictionary definitions for pocket
pocket
/ (ˈpɒkɪt) /
noun
a small bag or pouch in a garment for carrying small articles, money, etc
any bag or pouch or anything resembling this
a cavity or hollow in the earth, etc, such as one containing gold or other ore
the ore in such a place
a small enclosed or isolated areaa pocket of resistance
billiardssnookerany of the six holes with pouches or nets let into the corners and sides of a billiard table
a position in a race in which a competitor is hemmed in
Australian rules footballa player in one of two side positions at the ends of the groundback pocket; forward pocket
Southern Africana bag or sack of vegetables or fruit
in one's pocketunder one's control
in pockethaving made a profit, as after a transaction
in the pocketrugby(of a fly half) in an attacking position slightly further back from play than normal, making himself available for a drop goal attempt
out of pockethaving made a loss, as after a transaction
line one's pocketsto make money, esp by dishonesty when in a position of trust
(modifier)suitable for fitting in a pocket; smalla pocket edition
(modifier)pokerslangdenoting a pair formed from the two private cards dealt to a player in a game of Texas hold 'empocket queens
verb-ets, -etingor-eted(tr)
to put into one's pocket
to take surreptitiously or unlawfully; steal
(usually passive)to enclose or confine in or as if in a pocket
to receive (an insult, injury, etc) without retaliating
to conceal or keep back (feelings)he pocketed his pride and accepted help
billiardssnookerto drive (a ball) into a pocket
US(esp of the President) to retain (a bill) without acting on it in order to prevent it from becoming lawSee also pocket veto
to hem in (an opponent), as in racing
Derived forms of pocket
pocketable, adjectivepocketless, adjective
Word Origin for pocket
C15: from Anglo-Norman poket a little bag, from poque bag, from Middle Dutch pokepoke ², bag; related to French poche pocket