verb · noun · adjective
Simple meaning
A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
pahkuhtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɑkət
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To put (something) into a pocket.
Take unlawfully
Put in one's pocket
transitiveinformal
To take and keep (something, especially money, that is not one's own).
noun
clothing
A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items.
Australia
An area of land surrounded by a loop of a river.
A small isolated group of people
“They were concentrated in pockets inside the city.”
A small, isolated group or area.
A large bag or sack formerly used for packing various articles, such as ginger, hops, or cowries; the pocket of wool held about 168 pounds.
An enclosed space
“The trapped miners found a pocket of air.”
adjective
Smaller or more compact than usual.
Of a size suitable for putting into a pocket.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- General English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (clothing) A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items.
Used this way, pocket is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Smallnoun
“They were concentrated in pockets inside the city.”
Enclosednoun
“The trapped miners found a pocket of air.”
More ways to use pocket
- “They dipped into the taxpayers' pockets.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A sparsely populated borough in which all or most of the land is owned by a single family.
Usually small round bread that can open into a pocket for filling.
A calculator small enough to hold in the hand or carry in a pocket.
A small comb suitable for carrying in a pocket.
A dictionary that is small enough to carry in your pocket.
Pocket-sized paperback book.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.