Meaning & use
breast pocket
Last updated
UK/ˈbrest ˌpɒkɪt/
US/ˈbrest ˌpɑːkɪt/
Meaning
nouncountable
A small pocket sewn onto the chest area of a jacket, shirt or coat.
Grammar: Often used with in: in his breast pocket.
Patterns
- in someone's breast pocket
- tuck something into a breast pocket
He kept his pen in his shirt's breast pocket.
She tucked a folded handkerchief into the breast pocket of his suit.
The tickets were in my breast pocket the whole time.
Word forms
| plural | breast pockets |
|---|
Common combinations
- in the breast pocket
- His phone was in the breast pocket of his coat.
- tuck into the breast pocket
- He tucked the letter into his breast pocket.
- a jacket's breast pocket
- A handkerchief peeked from the jacket's breast pocket.
- reach into a breast pocket
- She reached into her breast pocket for her glasses.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chest pocket
- It means the same and is the more modern, neutral phrase for work shirts and outdoor jackets.
- inside pocket
- It describes a pocket on the inner lining and need not be on the chest.
- top pocket
- It is the British way of naming the small pocket high on a jacket or shirt.
Word family
Commonly confused: breast pocket or breast plate?
breast pocket vs breast plate
A breastplate is armor protecting the chest, unrelated to clothing pockets.
Practice
Where would you normally find a breast pocket?
Choose one answer.
A breast pocket sits on the chest area of a garment. The knee is a different place, so the second option does not fit the term.
Make it your own
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