vest-pocket
Americanadjective
-
designed to be carried in the pocket of the vest, in a purse, or in a similarly small space; miniature.
a vest-pocket dictionary.
-
very small.
a vest-pocket version of Versailles.
noun
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.
His art, recently celebrated in landmark exhibitions that brought together almost all of his surviving works, also invites contemplation in intimate, vest-pocket shows that allow more intimate contact with the painter’s stunning pictorial intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 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
Billed as a ramen diner, this new vest-pocket spot with a mere 18 seats, 10 of which are at a counter, is the work of Foo Kanegae.
From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2020
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
