Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Pocket?

\Pock"et\, n. Any hollow place suggestive of a pocket in form or use; specif.: (a) A bin for storing coal, grain, etc. (b) A socket for receiving the foot of a post, stake, etc. (c) A bight on a lee shore.
\Pock"et\, n. [OE. poket, Prov. F. & OF. poquette, F. pochette, dim. fr. poque, pouque, F. poche; probably of Teutonic origin. See {Poke} a pocket, and cf. {Poach} to cook eggs, to plunder, and {Pouch}.] 1. A bag or pouch; especially; a small bag inserted in a garment for carrying small articles, particularly money; hence, figuratively, money; wealth. 2. One of several bags attached to a billiard table, into which the balls are driven. 3. A large bag or sack used in packing various articles, as ginger, hops, cowries, etc. Note: In the wool or hop trade, the pocket contains half a sack, or about 168 Ibs.; but it is a variable quantity, the articles being sold by actual weight. 4. (Arch.) A hole or space covered by a movable piece of board, as in a floor, boxing, partitions, or the like. 5. (Mining.) (a) A cavity in a rock containing a nugget of gold, or other mineral; a small body of ore contained in such a cavity. (b) A hole containing water. 6. (Nat.) A strip of canvas, sewn upon a sail so that a batten or a light spar can placed in the interspace. 7. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Pouch}. Note: Pocket is often used adjectively, or in the formation of compound words usually of obvious signification; as, pocket comb, pocket compass, pocket edition, pocket handkerchief, pocket money, pocket picking, or pocket-picking, etc. {Out of pocket}. See under {Out}, prep. {Pocket borough}, a borough ``owned'' by some person. See under {Borough}. [Eng.] {Pocket gopher} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of American rodents of the genera {Geomys}, and {Thomomys}, family {Geomyd[ae]}. They have large external cheek pouches, and are fossorial in their habits. they inhabit North America, from the Mississippi Valley west to the Pacific. Called also {pouched gopher}. {Pocket mouse} (Zo["o]l.), any species of American mice of the family {Saccomyid[ae]}. They have external cheek pouches. Some of them are adapted for leaping (genus {Dipadomys}), and are called {kangaroo mice}. They are native of the Southwestern United States, Mexico, etc. {Pocket piece}, a piece of money kept in the pocket and not spent. {Pocket pistol}, a pistol to be carried in the pocket. {Pocket sheriff} (Eng. Law), a sheriff appointed by the sole authority of the crown, without a nomination by the judges in the exchequer. --Burrill.
\Pock"et\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pocketed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Pocketing}.] 1. To put, or conceal, in the pocket; as, to pocket the change. He would pocket the expense of the license. --Sterne. 2. To take clandestinely or fraudulently. He pocketed pay in the names of men who had long been dead. --Macaulay. {To pocket a ball} (Billiards), to drive a ball into a pocket of the table. {To pocket an insult}, {affront}, etc., to receive an affront without open resentment, or without seeking redress. ``I must pocket up these wrongs.'' --Shak.