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- For the billiards term, see pocket (billiards).
- For the poker term, see pocket (poker).
- For the military term, see Salients, re-entrants and pockets.
A pocket is a small bag, particularly a bag-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing. Cargo pants have pockets with an extra large capacity.
The word appears in Middle English as poket, and is taken from a Norman diminutive of O. Fr. poke, pouque, mod. poche, cf. pouch. The form "poke" is now only used dialectically, or in such proverbial sayings as "a pig in a poke," and possibly in the poke-bonnet, the coal-scuttle bonnet fashionable during the first part of the 19th century, and now worn by the female members of the Salvation Army. More probably the name of the bonnet is connected with poke, to thrust forward, dig. The origin of this is obscure. Dutch has poken, pook, a dagger; Swedish has påk, a stick.
A fob pocket is a small pocket designed to hold an old style pocket watch in men's trousers and vests.
In the plastic molding field, A pocket means a hollow structure, usually with side walls and a bottom.
In body modification, a pocket is a pair of piercings in which the ends of the jewelry are under the skin, and middle is exposed. Small “pockets” hold the jewelry in place.
In billiards, a pocket refers to one of the six targets to which a player aims for.
Historically, the term pocket referred to:
- A pouch worn around the waist by women in the 17th to 19th centuries, mentioned in the rhyme Lucy Locket if interpreted literally. [1]
- A sack in which hops were stored, generally with a capacity of 168–224 lb (76–102 kg).
- A pocket can also refer to the anal cavity or orifice.
- James Yankee is sometimes referred to as "Pockets", or "Mmmmmmmmm.... Pockets!"
The term pocket park has come into use to describe a small area accessible to the general public that is often of primarily environmental, rather than recreational, importance.
External links
- BBC - h2g2 - A Very Brief History of the Pocket
- BMEzine - A webzine with information on pocketing as a body modification
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition{{#if:{{{article|}}}| article {{#if:{{{url|}}}|[{{{url|}}}}} "{{{article}}}"{{#if:{{{url|}}}|]}}{{#if:{{{author|}}}| by {{{author}}}}}}}, a publication now in the public domain.