Pockets hang from belts as 15th-century peasants thresh siligo wheat in a Tacuinum Sanitatis

A pocket is a small bag to hold small and important items and sometimes used as temporary storage of small items, particularly a bag-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing.

In European clothing pockets began by being hung like purses from a belt, which could be concealed beneath a coat or jerkin and reached through a slit in the outer garment.

The word appears in Middle English as poket, and is taken from a Norman diminutive of Old French poke, pouque, modern poche, cf. pouch. The form "poke" is now only used dialectically, or in such proverbial sayings as "a pig in a poke".

Historically, the term pocket referred to:

• A pouch worn around the waist by women in the 17th to 19th centuries, mentioned in the rhyme Lucy Locket if interpreted literally.^[1]
• A sack in which hops were stored, generally with a capacity of 168–224 lb (76–102 kg).

A fob pocket is a small pocket designed to hold an old style pocket watch, sometimes found in men's trousers and waistcoats.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• BBC - h2g2 - A Very Brief History of the Pocket
• "Pockets". Fashion & Jewellery Features. Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/features/pockets/index.html. Retrieved 2009-11-17.