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vest-pocket

American  
[vest-pok-it] / ˈvɛstˌpɒk ɪt /

adjective

  1. designed to be carried in the pocket of the vest, in a purse, or in a similarly small space; miniature.

    a vest-pocket dictionary.

  2. very small.

    a vest-pocket version of Versailles.


vest-pocket British  

noun

  1. (modifier) small enough to fit into a waistcoat pocket

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of vest-pocket

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A vest-pocket exhibition filled with charming objects, “Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States” reveals how creators outside the mainstream have celebrated the nation in often-humble objects.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 3, 2026

It’s a warm midafternoon in the vest-pocket piece of Beverly Hills greenery known as Will Rogers Memorial Park.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 1, 2021

They have hired Marco Prins, from the Netherlands, who was at Brooklyn Fare for four years, to work out of the restaurant’s vest-pocket kitchen.

From New York Times Jun. 5, 2018

The vest-pocket park sits to the west of Buttermilk Park at the tail end of Wilks Avenue.

From Washington Times Mar. 22, 2017

He restricted his vest-pocket empire of worn, exotic clothing, false perfumes, and cheap jewelry to those places.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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