pocket

The most common meaning of "pocket" is the small pouch sewn into or onto clothing, made to hold personal items like keys, coins, a wallet, or a phone. We see pockets in jeans, coats, shirts, backpacks, handbags, and many other everyday things. Some are deep, some are tiny, some close with a zipper or button, but the basic idea is the same: it is a small space meant to keep things safe and easy to reach.

From there, the word grows into other useful meanings. We can talk about a pocket of air, a pocket of silence, or a pocket of people with a shared belief. In these cases, "pocket" means a small, separate area or group inside a larger whole. It can also describe an inside space or cavity in an object or place.

The word also appears in common figurative expressions. "Deep pockets" means having a lot of money or strong financial support. In politics, a "pocket veto" is a special kind of veto that happens when a bill is left unsigned under certain conditions.

As a verb, "to pocket" means to put something into a pocket, but it often carries the idea of taking and keeping something, sometimes dishonestly. Someone might pocket cash, pocket a small object, or quietly pocket the difference. So the word can point to a place in clothing, a small separate area, an inner space, or the act of taking and keeping something.