hock

¹ American  

[hok] / hɒk /

noun

1. the joint in the hind leg of a horse, cow, etc., above the fetlock joint, corresponding anatomically to the ankle in humans.

2. a corresponding joint in a fowl.

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verb (used with object)

1. to hamstring.

hock ² American  

[hok] / hɒk /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. any white Rhine wine.

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hock ³ American  

[hok] / hɒk /

verb (used with object)

1. pawn.

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noun

1. the state of being deposited or held as security; pawn.

   She was forced to put her good jewelry in hock.

2. the condition of owing; debt.

   After the loan was paid, he was finally out of hock.

hock ¹ British  

/ hɒk /

verb

1. (tr) to pawn or pledge

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noun

1. the state of being in pawn (esp in the phrase in hock )

2. 1. in prison

   2. in debt

   3. in pawn

hock ² British  

/ hɒk /

noun

1. the joint at the tarsus of a horse or similar animal, pointing backwards and corresponding to the human ankle

2. the corresponding joint in domestic fowl

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verb

1. another word for hamstring

hock ³ British  

/ hɒk /

noun

1. any of several white wines from the German Rhine

2. (not in technical usage) any dry white wine

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Other Word Forms

• hocker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of hock¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; variant of dialect hough, from Middle English hough, houh, houe “heel,” from Old English hōh “heel, hough, promontory”; see also heel ¹, Kew

Origin of hock²

First recorded in 1615–25; short for Hockamore Hochheimer

Origin of hock³

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; from Dutch hok “kennel, sty, pen, (informal) miserable place to live, prison”

Explanation

The hock is a joint on an animal's hind leg, or hock (as a verb) can also mean "to pawn." If you are hard up for cash, you may need to hock that ham hock for a few bucks. Good luck!. An animal's hock is the rough equivalent to a human's ankle. A horse's hock is easy to see: it's the joint above the hoof that's angled backwards. Other mammals (especially those with long legs) also have hocks, including dogs and pigs. In the case of a pig, the word hock is more commonly used to describe a cut of meat from the animal's leg — a "ham hock." When hock is a verb, it usually means "pawn," or "leave an item in return for a loan of money."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hock

Last year, Burnham told the New Statesman magazine: "We've got to get beyond this thing of being in hock to the bond markets."

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

Markets are likely to expect higher U.K. public spending under Burnham due to his past comments that the U.K. shouldn’t be “in hock to the bond markets,” Deutsche Bank strategists said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

In an interview with the New Statesman last year, Burnham said the government had to "get beyond this thing of being in hock to the bond markets".

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

Razor-sharp teeth and surgical precision allow the bats to make an incision in an animal, such as in the hock of a cow, without the animal feeling it.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024

She was the kind of cook who would heap up your plate with such as ham hock, greens, black-eyed peas, fried fish, cabbage, sweet potatoes, grits and gravy, and combread.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey