sack

¹ American  

[sak] / sæk /

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.

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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.

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.

sack ² American  

[sak] / sæk /

verb (used with object)

1. to pillage or loot after capture; plunder.

   to sack a city.

   Synonyms:

   despoil , spoil

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noun

1. the plundering of a captured place; pillage.

   the sack of Troy.

   Synonyms:

   ruin , destruction

sack ³ American  

[sak] / sæk /

noun

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

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sack ¹ British  

/ 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

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verb

1. informal  to dismiss from employment

2. to put into a sack or sacks

sack ² British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ sæk /

noun

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

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sack More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing sack

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

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Related Words

See rob.

Regionalisms

See bag.

Other Word Forms

• sacker noun
• sacklike adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

Las Vegas had come into the game having lost nine of its last 10 games, and fresh off a two-touchdown home loss to Cleveland in which Smith was sacked 10 times.

From Los Angeles Times

On the next play Derrick Brown sacked Stafford and knocked the ball from his grasp.

From Los Angeles Times

There was no way Iamaleava could grit his way to victory, the Bruins eventually succumbing during a 29-10 loss to the Trojans in which their quarterback was sacked four times — all in the second half.

From Los Angeles Times

Saturday night before an overflow crowd at San Clemente High, the Griffins recorded seven sacks and took advantage of one of the strangest touchdowns scored by a lineman to beat the Tritons 33-20.

From Los Angeles Times

Protect Geno Smith, who has been sacked 18 times in the last three games, including 10 times by Cleveland last week.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• discharge
• dismiss
• expel
• fire
• terminate