hock
1 of 5noun (1)
ˈhäk 
1
a
: the tarsal joint or region in the hind limb of a digitigrade quadruped (such as the horse) corresponding to the human ankle but elevated and bending backward see horse illustration
b
: a joint of a fowl's leg that corresponds to the hock of a quadruped
2
: a small cut of meat from a front or hind leg just above the foot
ham hocks
hock
2 of 5noun (2)
often capitalized
chiefly British
: rhine wine sense 1
hock
3 of 5verb (1)
hocked; hocking; hocks
transitive verb
: pawn
hocker noun
hock
4 of 5noun (3)
1
a
: pawn entry 2 sense 2
got his watch out of hock
b
: debt sense 2
in hock to the bank
2
: prison
hock
5 of 5verb (2)
hocked; hocking
transitive verb
US, informal
: to forcefully spit out (something, such as phlegm)
hock a loogie
hock a wad of tobacco
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- pawn
- pledge
Noun (3)
- bastille
- big house [slang]
- bridewell
- brig
- calaboose
- can
- clink [slang]
- cooler
- coop
- guardroom
- hold
- hoosegow
- jail
- jailhouse
- joint [slang]
- jug
- lockup
- nick [British slang]
- pen
- penitentiary
- pokey [slang]
- prison
- quod [British slang]
- slam
- slammer
- stir [slang]
- stockade
- tolbooth [Scottish]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb (1) the prince had to hock the family jewels to pay his gambling debts
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English hoch, hough, from Old English hōh heel; akin to Old Norse hāsin hock
Noun (2)
modification of German Hochheimer, from Hochheim, Germany
Noun (3) and Verb (1)
Dutch hok pen, prison
Verb (2)
variant of hawk entry 3
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun (2)
circa 1625, in the meaning defined above
Verb (1)
1878, in the meaning defined above
Noun (3)
1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (2)
1990, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing hock
Kids Definition
hock
noun
ˈhäk
1
: a small piece of meat from the leg of a pig
ham hocks
2
: the part of the rear leg of a four-footed animal that is like a human ankle
Medical Definition
hock
noun
ˈhäk
: the joint or region of the joint that unites the tarsal bones in the hind limb of a digitigrade quadruped (as the horse) and that corresponds to the human ankle but is elevated and bends backward
hock 1 of 2
noun
as in penitentiary
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody some lowlife who had been in and out of hock most of his adult life Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- penitentiary
- jail
- prison
- pen
- joint
- jug
- pokey
- coop
- bridewell
- big house
- brig
- slammer
- calaboose
- can
- cooler
- clink
- lockup
- hoosegow
- cage
- slam
- jailhouse
- nick
- stockade
- guardroom
- bastille
- stir
- hold
- tank
- tolbooth
- quod
- bull pen
- dungeon
- cell
- keep
- hole
- ward
- labor camp
- prison camp
- gulag
- stalag
- work camp
- concentration camp
- block
- reform school
- glasshouse
- guardhouse
- reformatory
- training school
- oubliette
- hulk(s)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- outside
hock
2 of 2verb
as in to pawn
to leave as a guarantee of repayment of a loan the prince had to hock the family jewels to pay his gambling debts Synonyms & Similar Words
- pawn
- mortgage
- deposit
- bond
- pledge
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- buy (back)
- win (back)
- redeem