pocket

Universal Words noun, verb noun in clothing 1 a small piece of material like a small bag sewn into or onto a piece of clothing so that you can carry things in it: a coat pocket * I put the note in my pocket. * Turn out your pockets (= empty your pockets). * Take your hands out of your pockets! * a pocket dictionary (= one that is small enough to fit in your pocket) small container 2 a small bag or container fastened to sth so that you can put things in it, for example, in a car door or in a handbag: Information about safety procedures is in the pocket in front of you (= on a plane). money 3 [usuallysing.] used to talk about the amount of money that you have to spend: We have holidays to suit every pocket. * He had no intention of paying for the meal out of his own pocket. * The Foundation is reputed to have very deep pockets (= to have a lot of money). * The libel case was a huge drain on her pocket. small group / area 4 a small group or area that is different from its surroundings: There are still a few isolated pockets of resistance to the new regime. * a pocket of air * Geologists have found a few remaining pockets of iron ore. seealsoAIRPOCKET in billiards, etc. 5 any of the holes or nets around the edges of the table used in the games of BILLIARDS, POOL or SNOOKER, which you have to hit the ball into IDIOMS be in sb's pocket to be controlled or strongly influenced by sb be / live in each other's pockets (BrE) if two people are in each other's pockets, they are too close to each other or spend too much time with each other have sb in your pocket to have influence or power over sb, for example, a police officer or a politician, especially by threatening them or by offering them money to have sth in your pocket to be certain to win sth in / out of pocket (especially BrE) having gained/lost money as a result of sth: That one mistake left him thousands of pounds out of pocket. moreatBURNv., DIPv., HANDn., LINEv., PICKv. verb [VN] put into pocket 1 to put sth into your pocket: She paid for the drink and pocketed the change without counting it. money 2 to take or keep sth, especially an amount of money, that does not belong to you: He regularly charges passengers more than the normal fare and pockets the difference. 3 to earn or win an amount of money: Last year, she pocketed over $1 million in advertising contracts. * She pocketed ｣500 for coming second. in billiards, etc. 4 (in the games of BILLIARDS, POOL and SNOOKER) to hit a ball into a pocket SYNPOT