Meaning & use
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A small bag sewn into clothing or attached to a bag, used for carrying small things.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a pocket', 'two pockets'.
Patterns
- in someone's pocket
- put something in a pocket
- a pocket in something
He put the keys in his coat pocket.
The dress has two pockets at the front.
She found a coin in the pocket of her jeans.
nouncountable
A small area or group that is different from what surrounds it.
Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'a pocket of resistance' or 'a pocket of poverty'.
Patterns
- a pocket of something
There are still pockets of resistance in the mountains.
The city has pockets of poverty alongside great wealth.
verbtransitive
To take and keep money or things, especially secretly or dishonestly.
Grammar: Takes an object: pocket the change.
Patterns
- pocket something
- pocket money from something
He pocketed the extra change without telling anyone.
The manager was accused of pocketing company funds.
verbtransitive
To put something into your pocket.
Grammar: Takes an object: pocket your keys.
Patterns
- pocket something
She pocketed her phone and left.
He pocketed the receipt and walked out.
adjectivebefore a noun
Small enough to carry in a pocket; smaller than usual.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a pocket dictionary.
Patterns
- pocket + noun
I always carry a pocket dictionary.
He bought a pocket camera for the trip.
Word forms
| plural | pockets |
|---|---|
| third person singular | pockets |
| past tense | pocketed |
| past participle | pocketed |
| -ing form | pocketing |
Common combinations
- in someone's pocket
- The judge was accused of being in the mayor's pocket.
- pocket money
- The children get pocket money for doing chores.
- out of pocket
- I had to pay for the repair out of pocket.
- pocket-sized
- The book is pocket-sized, so it fits easily in a bag.
- line one's pockets
- The officials were lining their pockets with public money.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- pocketful noun
- The amount that a pocket can hold.
- pocketbook noun
- A small book or, in American English, a wallet or purse.
Commonly confused: pocket or packet?
pocket vs packet
A small paper or plastic container for goods, not a part of clothing.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
We use 'in' for something inside a pocket. 'On', 'at', and 'by' do not fit because they suggest position outside or near, not inside.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pocket”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.