be in hock

be in hock

1. To be in debt. I picked a smaller, more affordable school so I didn't have to be deep in hock with student loans for years after I graduated.2. To have been pawned (i.e. pledged to a pawnbroker in exchange for a loan). I really needed cash, so my guitars are in hock, unfortunately.See also: hock

be in ˈhock (to somebody)

(informal) owe money: I’m in hock for about €5 000. Hock comes from the Dutch word for prison.See also: hock