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

   to get the sack.

5. Slang.,  the sack, 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. sack out,  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. a large bag made of coarse cloth, thick paper, etc, used as a container

2. Also called: sackful. the amount contained in a sack, sometimes used as a unit of measurement

3. 1. a woman's loose tube-shaped dress

   2. Also called: sacque. a woman's full loose hip-length jacket, worn in the 18th and mid-20th centuries

4. short for rucksack

5. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): bye. 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

6. informal,  dismissal from employment

7. a slang word for bed

8. slang,  to go to bed

9. uncouth

verb

1. informal,  to dismiss from employment

2. to put into a sack or sacks

sack

²

/ 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

sack

³

/ sæk /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• sacklike adjective
• sacker noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sack¹

First recorded before 1000; 1940–45 sack ¹ for def. 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

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

Origin of sack²

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

Origin of sack³

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. leave holding the sack. bag.

2. hit the sack, to go to bed; go to sleep.

   He never hits the sack before midnight.

More idioms and phrases containing sack

• get the ax (sack)
• hit the hay (sack)
• sad sack

Synonym Study

See rob.

Example Sentences

He tries to avoid a sack as much as possible and is able to throw under pressure.

Read more on BBC

Last week, Rajoelina sacked his entire government and appointed an army general as prime minister on Monday.

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Rangers will now discuss the position with Gerrard over the coming the days as they look to fill the vacancy created by Sunday's sacking of Russell Martin.

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He insists they are "passionate" about the club and, when asked if they might order him to sack Amorim, said: "That's not going to happen."

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Gracia's return to Vicarage Road comes more than two years after he was sacked by Leeds United in May 2023, having been in charge for only 12 games, to make way for Sam Allardyce.

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Related Words

• discharge 
• dismiss 
• expel 
• fire 
• terminate