Pocket
(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.
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. (Zoöl.) Same as Pouch.
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 (Zoöl.), any one of several species of American rodents
of the genera Geomys, and Thomomys, family Geomydæ. 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 (Zoöl.), any species of American mice of the
family Saccomyidæ. 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.
Pocket
(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.
Pocketbook
(Pock"et*book`) n. A small book or case for carrying papers, money, etc., in the pocket; also,
a notebook for the pocket.
