the joint at the tarsus of a horse or similar animal, pointing backwards and corresponding to the human ankle
- another word for hamstring
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
hock1 /hɑk/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
hock3 /hɑk/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object]
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Zoologythe joint in the hind leg of a horse, cow, etc., corresponding to the ankle in humans.
hock3 /hɑk/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object]
- to pawn:He had hocked his wife's jewelry to raise money to gamble.
n. [uncountable]
- the state of being deposited or held as security;
pawn:the jewelry was in hock. - the condition of owing;
debt:in hock to the amount of thirty thousand dollars.
hock1
(hok),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
hock2 (hok),USA pronunciation n. [Chiefly Brit.]
hock3 (hok),USA pronunciation v.t.
n.
hock′er, n.
- Zoologythe joint in the hind leg of a horse, cow, etc., above the fetlock joint, corresponding anatomically to the ankle in humans. See diag. under horse.
- Zoologya corresponding joint in a fowl.
v.t.
- Pathologyto hamstring.
- 1375–1425; variant of dialect, dialectal hough, Middle English ho(u)gh, apparently back formation from late Middle English hokschyn, etc., Old English hōhsinu hock (literally, heel) sinew; see heel1
hock2 (hok),USA pronunciation n. [Chiefly Brit.]
- British Termsany white Rhine wine.
- short for Hockamore Hochheimer 1615–25
hock3 (hok),USA pronunciation v.t.
- pawn.
n.
- the state of being deposited or held as security;
pawn:She was forced to put her good jewelry in hock. - the condition of owing;
debt:After the loan was paid, he was finally out of hock.
- Dutch hok kennel, sty, pen, (informal) miserable place to live, prison
- 1855–60, American.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
any of several white wines from the German Rhine
- (transitive)
to pawn or pledge
the state of being in pawn (esp in the phrase in hock) - in hock ⇒
in prison in debt in pawn