ENGLISH
REFERENCE

socket

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsɑkət// UK //sˈɒkɪt// sock·et

n. a hole or space that something fits into. You usually use this word for the place you plug in electronics or the part of your body where a bone fits.

n. a hollow part or opening into which something else is inserted or fitted. In electrical contexts, it refers to a female connector; in anatomy, it refers to a cavity that holds a structure like an eye or a joint.


SIMPLE

I need to find a wall socket to charge my phone.

CONTEXTUAL

The electrician installed a new power socket behind the desk to make it easier to connect the computer.

COMPLEX

The surgeon carefully examined the hip socket to determine if the bone had been displaced during the accident, as any misalignment could lead to chronic pain.

Origin

From Middle English socket, soket, from Anglo-Norman soket (“spearhead”), diminutive of Old French soc (“plowshare”), from Vulgar Latin soccus, a word borrowed from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic sukkos (compare modern Welsh swch (“plowshare”)), literally "pig's snout", from Proto-Indo-European *suH-.

Usage

Commonly used in compound nouns like 'wall socket', 'eye socket', or 'light socket'.

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