socket
noun · verb
Simple meaning
An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sahkuhtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsɑkət
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.
noun
electricity
An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit (e.g. a light bulb socket).
anatomy
A hollow into a bone which a part fits, such as an eye, or another bone, in the case of a joint.
Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.
A hollow tool for grasping and lifting tools dropped in a well-boring.
The hollow of a candlestick.
anatomy
A bony hollow into which a structure fits
verb
To place or fit in a socket.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (electricity) An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit (e.g. a light bulb socket).
Used this way, socket is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- 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.
More ways to use socket
- “I need to plug the lamp into an electrical socket on the wall.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A wrench with a handle onto which sockets of different sizes can be fitted.
Inflammation in the socket of a tooth.
A socket into which a lightbulb can be inserted.
The bony cavity in the skull containing the eyeball.
The socket part of the ball-and-socket joint between the head of the femur and the innominate bone.
A bony socket in the alveolar ridge that holds a tooth.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
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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.