pocket

A pocket is usually the small space sewn into your clothes, or added inside a bag, where you keep things like keys, coins, or a phone. It is one of those everyday parts of life that you barely notice until you need it. A jacket pocket, a back pocket, or a side pocket all do the same simple job: they hold small things close at hand.

The word can also describe a small area or group that is separate from what is around it, like a pocket of cold air or a pocket of people still resisting change. And as a verb, to pocket something usually means to take it and keep it, often by quickly slipping it away.

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.