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sack

n. · v.
US //ˈsæk// UK //sˈæk// sack
  1. 1 a large bag (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a large, strong bag used for carrying heavy things like potatoes, coal, or flour.

    a large container made of coarse, durable material such as burlap or thick paper, used for the transport of bulk commodities.

    Example

    The farmer carried a heavy sack of grain into the barn.

    Example

    The workers stacked dozens of burlap sacks filled with raw coffee beans onto the wooden pallets for export.
  2. 2 losing a job (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal British English

    the act of being fired from a job.

    the dismissal of an employee from their position, typically due to poor performance or misconduct.

    Example

    He got the sack after he was caught sleeping at his desk.

    Example

    Following the merger, several senior managers were given the sack as the new board sought to reduce overhead costs.
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  1. 3 bed (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal American English

    a casual word for a bed.

    a colloquial term for a bed, frequently used in the idiom 'hit the sack'.

    Example

    I am exhausted, so I think I will hit the sack early tonight.

    Example

    After a grueling fourteen-hour shift at the hospital, the intern was desperate to hit the sack and sleep until noon.
  2. 4 stealing during war (n.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    the act of stealing everything valuable from a city after capturing it in a war.

    the systematic plundering and destruction of a captured town or city by a victorious army.

    Example

    The sack of the city left thousands of people without homes or food.

    Example

    Historians still debate the long-term cultural impact of the sack of Rome on the stability of the empire.
  3. 5 to fire someone (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal British English

    to tell someone they can no longer work at their job.

    to dismiss an employee from their job or position of responsibility.

    Example

    The company decided to sack the manager for being rude to customers.

    Example

    The board of directors voted to sack the CEO after the company's stock price plummeted for the third consecutive quarter.
  4. 6 to plunder (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    to attack a place and steal everything inside.

    to pillage or loot a place, especially a city, after capturing it during a conflict.

    Example

    The invading army began to sack the village as soon as they arrived.

    Example

    The Vikings were known to sack coastal monasteries, carrying away gold ornaments and sacred manuscripts.
  5. 7 to tackle a quarterback (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate American English Sport

    to knock down the quarterback in American football before they can throw the ball.

    to tackle the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage before a forward pass is attempted.

    Example

    The defender managed to sack the quarterback for a ten-yard loss.

    Example

    The defensive line successfully coordinated a blitz to sack the quarterback, forcing a fumble that changed the momentum of the game.
  6. 8 body part (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang Vulgar Medicine

    a slang word for the skin that holds a man's testicles.

    a slang term for the scrotum.

    Example

    He went to the doctor because he had a strange pain in his sack.

    Example

    The patient complained of localized swelling in the sack, necessitating a referral to a urologist for further examination.
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