Definition of HOCK

hock

Plural: hocks

Noun

  • any of several white wines from the Rhine River valley in Germany (`hock' is British usage)
  • tarsal joint of the hind leg of hoofed mammals; corresponds to the human ankle
  • A Rhenish wine, of a light yellow color, either sparkling or still, from the Hochheim region; often applied to all Rhenish wines.
  • The tarsal joint of a digitigrade quadruped, such as a horse, pig or dog.
  • Meat from that part of a food animal.
  • The hollow behind the knee.
  • Pawn, obligation as collateral for a loan.
  • Debt.
  • Installment purchase.
  • Prison.
  • Alternative form of hawk (“cough”).
  • The last card turned up in the game of faro.

Verb

Verb Forms: hocked, hocking, hocks

  • To pawn or pledge something for money.
  • leave as a guarantee in return for money
  • disable by cutting the hock
  • To disable by cutting the tendons of the hock; to hamstring; to hough.
  • To leave with a pawnbroker as security for a loan.
  • To bother; to pester; to annoy incessantly.
  • Alternative form of hawk (“cough, clear one's throat of phlegm”).

Examples

  • He needed $750 to get his guitar out of hock at the pawnshop.
  • He was so desperate for vowels, he felt like he’d HOCK his best consonants.
  • They were in hock to the bank for $35 million.

Origin / Etymology

Clipping of hockamore, from German.

Synonyms

hock-joint, pawn, Rhenish, Rhine wine, soak, Hochheimer, hamstring, hocking, hough, hox

Scrabble Score: 13

hock: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
hock: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
hock: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

hock: valid Words With Friends Word