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¹hock

noun \ˈhäk\

Definition of HOCK

a : the tarsal joint or region in the hind limb of a digitigrade quadruped (as the horse) corresponding to the human ankle but elevated and bending backward — see horse illustration

b : a joint of a fowl's leg that corresponds to the hock of a quadruped

: a small cut of meat from a front or hind leg just above the foot <ham hocks>

Origin of HOCK

Middle English hoch, hough, from Old English hōh heel; akin to Old Norse hāsin hock

First Known Use: 1540

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

Rhymes with HOCK

bloc, block, bock, brock, chock, clock, cock, croc, crock, doc, dock, floc, flock, frock, grok, jock, knock, lakh, loch, lock, Locke, lough, moc, mock, nock, pock, roc, rock, schlock, shock, smock, sock, Spock, stock, wok

²hock

noun, often capitalized

Definition of HOCK

chiefly British

: rhine wine 1

Origin of HOCK

modification of German Hochheimer, from Hochheim, Germany

First Known Use: circa 1625

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

finish, gimlet, mull, sake, setup, sommelier, syllabub, vintner, wassail

³hock

verb

: to give (something that you own) to a pawnbroker in exchange for money : to put (something) in hock

Full Definition of HOCK

transitive verb

: pawn

— hock·er noun

See hock defined for English-language learners

Origin of HOCK

⁴hock

First Known Use: 1878

Related to HOCK

Synonyms: pawn, pledge

⁴hock

noun

Definition of HOCK

a : ²pawn 2 <got his watch out of hock>

b : debt 3 <in hock to the bank>

: prison

Origin of HOCK

Dutch hok pen, prison

First Known Use: 1883

HOCK Defined for Kids

hock

noun \ˈhäk\

Definition of HOCK for Kids

: a small piece of meat from the leg of a pig <ham hocks>

: the part of the rear leg of a four-footed animal that is like a human ankle

Medical Dictionary

hock

noun \ˈhäk\

Medical Definition of HOCK

: the joint or region of the joint that unites the tarsal bones in the hind limb of a digitigrade quadruped (as the horse) and that corresponds to the human ankle but is elevated and bends backward