sack

¹

[ sak ]

noun

1. a large bag of strong, coarsely woven material, as for grain, potatoes, or coal.
2. the amount a sack holds.
3. a bag:

   a sack of candy.

4. the sack, Informal. dismissal or discharge, as from a job:

   to get the sack.

5. the sack, Slang. bed, often as the site of sexual activity:

   It's past noon, but I bet that lazybones is still in the sack.

   If you want the relationship to be more than just a night in the sack, you have to work at it.

6. Also sacque.
   1. a loose-fitting dress, as a gown with a Watteau back, especially one fashionable in the late 17th century and much of the 18th century.
   2. a loose-fitting coat, jacket, or cape.
7. Baseball. a base.
8. South Midland U.S. the udder of a cow.

verb (used with object)

1. to put into a sack or sacks.
2. Football. to tackle (the quarterback) behind the line of scrimmage before the quarterback is able to throw a pass.
3. Informal. to dismiss or discharge, as from a job.

verb phrase

1. Slang. to go to bed; fall asleep.

sack

²

[ sak ]

verb (used with object)

1. to pillage or loot after capture; plunder:

   to sack a city.

   Synonyms: despoil, spoil

noun

1. the plundering of a captured place; pillage:

   the sack of Troy.

   Synonyms: ruin, destruction

sack

³

[ sak ]

noun

1. a strong light-colored wine formerly imported from Spain and the Canary Islands.

sack

¹

/ sæk /

noun

1. archaic.
   any dry white wine formerly imported into Britain from SW Europe

sack

²

/ sæk /

noun

1. a large bag made of coarse cloth, thick paper, etc, used as a container
2. Also calledsackful the amount contained in a sack, sometimes used as a unit of measurement
3. 1. a woman's loose tube-shaped dress
   2. Also calledsacque a woman's full loose hip-length jacket, worn in the 18th and mid-20th centuries
4. See rucksack
   short for rucksack
5. cricket a run scored off a ball not struck by the batsman: allotted to the team as an extra and not to the individual batsman Also called (in Britain and certain other countries)bye
6. the sack informal.
   the sack dismissal from employment
7. See bed
   a slang word for bed
8. hit the sack slang.
   hit the sack to go to bed
9. rough as sacks
   rough as sacks uncouth

verb

1. informal.
   to dismiss from employment
2. to put into a sack or sacks

sack

³

/ sæk /

noun

1. the plundering of a place by an army or mob, usually involving destruction, slaughter, etc
2. American football a tackle on a quarterback which brings him down before he has passed the ball

verb

1. tr to plunder and partially destroy (a place)
2. American football to tackle and bring down a quarterback before he has passed the ball

Derived Forms

• ˈsackˌlike, adjective
• ˈsacker, noun

Other Words From

• sack·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sack¹

First recorded before 1000; 1940–45 sack ¹fordef 5; Middle English noun sak, sak(k)e Old English sacc, from Latin saccus “bag, sack, sackcloth,” from Greek sákkos “bag made from goat hair, sieve, burlap, large cloak (as for a wedding dress),” from Semitic; compare Hebrew, Phoenician śaq “cloth made of hair, bag, mourning dress”

Origin of sack²

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French phrase mettre à sac “to put to pillage”; sac, in this sense from Italian sacco “looting, loot,” shortened form of saccomano, from Middle High German sakman “pillager” (conformed to sacco sack ¹ )

Origin of sack³

First recorded in 1525–35; from French ( vin ) sec “dry (wine),” from Latin siccus “dry”; sec ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sack¹

C16 wyne seck, from French vin sec dry wine, from Latin siccus dry

Origin of sack²

Old English sacc, from Latin saccus bag, from Greek sakkos ; related to Hebrew saq

Origin of sack³

C16: from French phrase mettre à sac, literally: to put (loot) in a sack, from Latin saccus sack ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hit the sack, Slang. to go to bed; go to sleep:

   He never hits the sack before midnight.

2. leave holding the sack. bag ( def 30 ).

More idioms and phrases containing sack

In addition to the idiom beginning with sack , also see get the ax (sack) ; hit the hay (sack) ; sad sack .

Synonym Study

See rob.

Example Sentences

You, dear reader and refusenik, will likely be called a cynic or a sad sack by friends.

From The Daily Beast

Listen, I took a pretty hard shot to the sack with that crash.

From The Daily Beast

Last Sunday, he suited up for the Panthers, registering one sack and four tackles.

From The Daily Beast

For a moment, I measured the risk of carrying that sack in public.

From The Daily Beast

In order to prove his Ironborn status, he decides to lead a mini army to sack a depleted Winterfell when they least expect it.

From The Daily Beast

The fighting section of the Filipinos was intensely irritated at not having been allowed to enter and sack the capital.

From Project Gutenberg

The rope from his middle, a bottle of sack from his bosom, and a link of hog's puddings, pulled out of his left sleeve.

From Project Gutenberg

She has a grey body, plump as a sack of meal, with little white speckles, a funny neck and such a small head with a tuft on top.

From Project Gutenberg

Each bore upon his back a great Chimra, heavy as a sack of coal, or as the equipment of a foot-soldier of Rome.

From Project Gutenberg

Talked all night about burros, gasoline, & camphor balls which he seemed wanting to buy in gunny sack.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• discharge
• dismiss
• expel
• fire
• terminate