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sack

SAK/sæk/

Pluralsacks

Verbsacks, sacking, sacked

18 meanings of sack

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  1. 1
    nouncountable
    A bag for holding or carrying things, often big and made of rough cloth, or made of paper or plastic.

    Dad carried a big sack of potatoes to the car.

    The store gave us two paper sacks for our food.

    UsageSay a sack of potatoes.

    Similarbag

  2. 2
    nouncountable
    In football, knocking down the quarterback behind the line where the play began.

    That sack in the last minute won us the game.

    He made two sacks in his very first game.

    Note
  3. 3
    fire from jobverbcolloquialtransitive
    To make someone leave their job or position.

    The shop owner said he would sack anyone who came in late again.

    The company sacked twenty workers last week.

    UsageSay someone was sacked. It means the same as fired.

    Similarfire, dismiss, axe, can, discharge

    Oppositehire, employ, appoint

    Note
  4. 4
    rob a cityverbtransitive
    To rob and destroy a place, especially after an army has taken it.

    The soldiers sacked the town and took everything of value.

    Pirates would sack the port every few summers.

    UsageSay an army sacks a city, or a city is sacked.

    Similarloot, ransack

    Note
  5. 5
    tackle (football)verbtransitive
    In football, to knock down the quarterback behind the line where the play began, especially before he can throw.

    Our best player tried to sack the quarterback on every play.

    The other team sacked our quarterback, and the crowd went quiet.

    UsageSay the quarterback was sacked.

    Note
  6. 6
    nouncolloquial
    Being made to leave your job or position.

    If you sleep at work again, you will get the sack.

    The boss gave him the sack after only one week.

    UsageSay you get the sack, or someone gives you the sack.

    Similarboot, axe, push, dismissal

  7. 7
    looting (war)noununcountable
    The robbing and wrecking of a town or city after an army takes it.

    Many families ran away before the sack of the town.

    After the sack of the city, very few houses were left standing.

    UsageSay the sack of a city.

    Similarpillage, plunder, looting

  8. 8
    bednouncolloquialUS
    Your bed, or the place where you sleep.

    I'm so tired that I'm going to hit the sack.

    My brother stays in the sack until noon on Saturdays.

    UsageSay hit the sack when you go to bed.

    Similarbed, hay

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Origins

Meanings 1–12, 14–16

From an old word for “bag” that came through Latin and Greek from a Semitic language. “Giving someone the sack” later came to mean firing them.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

  • The bag word came through Latin and Greek from Semitic. en.wikisource.org
  • Giving someone the sack acquired the meaning of dismissing them from employment. en.wiktionary.org
Meaning 13

Probably from a French word meaning “dry,” as in dry wine.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact