pocket (pockets plural & 3rd person present) (pocketing present participle) (pocketed past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A pocket is a kind of small bag which forms part of a piece of clothing, and which is used for carrying small things such as money or a handkerchief.
oft poss N, n N
He took his flashlight from his jacket pocket and switched it on..., The man stood with his hands in his pockets.
2 n-count You can use pocket in a lot of different ways to refer to money that people have, get, or spend. For example, if someone gives or pays a lot of money, you can say that they dig deep into their pocket. If you approve of something because it is very cheap to buy, you can say that it suits people's pockets.
...ladies' fashions to suit all shapes, sizes and pockets...
3 adj You use pocket to describe something that is small enough to fit into a pocket, often something that is a smaller version of a larger item.
ADJ n
...a pocket calculator., ...my pocket edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
4 n-count A pocketof something is a small area where something is happening, or a small area which has a particular quality, and which is different from the other areas around it.
usu N of n
He survived the earthquake after spending 3 days in an air pocket..., The army controls the city apart from a few pockets of resistance.
5 verb If someone who is in possession of something valuable such as a sum of money pockets it, they steal it or take it for themselves, even though it does not belong to them.
Dishonest importers would be able to pocket the VAT collected from customers. V n
6 verb If you say that someone pockets something such as a prize or sum of money, you mean that they win or obtain it, often without needing to make much effort or in a way that seems unfair. (JOURNALISM)
He pocketed more money from this tournament than in his entire three years as a professional. V n
7 verb If someone pockets something, they put it in their pocket, for example because they want to steal it or hide it.
Anthony snatched his letters and pocketed them... V n
8 If you say that someone is in someone else's pocket, you disapprove of the fact that the first person is willing to do whatever the second person tells them, for example out of weakness or in return for money.
in someone's pocket phrase usu v-link PHR (disapproval)
The board of directors must surely have been in Johnstone's pocket.
9 If you say that someone is lining their own or someone else's pockets, you disapprove of them because they are making money dishonestly or unfairly.
line one's pockets phrase V inflects (disapproval)
It is estimated that 5,000 bank staff could be lining their own pockets from customer accounts.
10 If you are out of pocket, you have less money than you should have or than you intended, for example because you have spent too much or because of a mistake.
out of pocket phrase v-link PHR, PHR after v
They were well out of pocket<endash>they had spent far more in Hollywood than he had earned...
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out-of-pocket
11 If someone picks your pocket, they steal something from your pocket, usually without you noticing.
pick someone's pocket phrase V and N inflect They were more in danger of having their pockets picked than being shot at.
breast pocket (breast pockets plural )The breast pocket of a man's coat or jacket is a pocket, usually on the inside, next to his chest. n-count with poss
I kept the list in my breast pocket.
out-of-pocket
Out-of-pocket expenses are those which you pay out of your own money on behalf of someone else, and which are often paid back to you later. adj ADJ n
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pocket
pocket knife (pocket knives plural ), pocketknife A pocket knife is a small knife with several blades which fold into the handle so that you can carry it around with you safely. n-count
(=penknife)
pocket money , pocket-money
Pocket money is money which children are given by their parents, usually every week.
(mainly BRIT) n-uncount
We agreed to give her £6 a week pocket money.
in AM, usually use allowance
pocket-sized , pocket-size
If you describe something as pocket-sized, you approve of it because it is small enough to fit in your pocket. adj usu ADJ n (approval)
...a handy pocket-sized reference book.
