Definition

Noun: 1. A large bag, typically made of coarse material: A container for holding and carrying goods, often made from materials like burlap, paper, or plastic. 2. Dismissal from employment: The act of terminating someone's job. 3. The plundering of a captured city or building: The act of looting and destroying a place, especially by an army. 4. A loose-fitting garment: A simple dress or coat that hangs straight from the shoulders. 5. A quantity contained in a sack: Used as a unit of measurement. 6. A type of historical wine: A dry white wine from Spain, such as sherry.

Verb: 1. To dismiss from employment: To fire someone from their job. 2. To put into a sack: To place items into a large bag. 3. To plunder and destroy: To loot a captured city or building violently. 4. (Informal) To tackle a quarterback in American football: To bring the quarterback to the ground behind the line of scrimmage.

Examples

Noun: * He carried a heavy sack of potatoes. (Definition 1) * After the mistake, he got the sack. (Definition 2) * The sack of the ancient city was a historical tragedy. (Definition 3) * She wore a comfortable linen sack. (Definition 4) * We bought a sack of rice. (Definition 5)

Verb: * The manager had to sack three employees. (Definition 1) * Please sack the groceries for me. (Definition 2) * The invaders sacked the village. (Definition 3) * The defensive end managed to sack the quarterback. (Definition 4)

Advanced Usage

• "To get/have the sack": To be dismissed from one's job.
  • He got the sack for being late too often.
• "To give someone the sack": To dismiss someone from their job.
  • The company gave him the sack.
• "Hit the sack" (Idiom): To go to bed.
  • I'm tired; I'm going to hit the sack.

Variants and Related Words

• Sackful (n): The amount a sack holds.
  • He ate a sackful of candy.
• Sacking (n): 1. The coarse material used to make sacks. 2. The act of dismissing someone or plundering a place.
  • The bag was made of rough sacking. (Material)
  • The sacking of the manager surprised everyone. (Dismissal)

Synonyms

• Noun (Bag): Bag, pouch.
• Noun (Dismissal): Dismissal, firing, termination.
• Verb (Dismiss): Fire, dismiss, terminate, let go.
• Verb (Plunder): Plunder, loot, pillage, ransack.

Phrasal Verbs

• Sack out (Informal): To go to sleep.
  • After the long trip, he just sacked out on the couch.

Related Idioms

• "A sack of potatoes": Used to describe someone or something that is heavy and limp when carried.
  • He carried the sleeping child like a sack of potatoes.
• "Sack race": A race in which participants hop with their legs inside a sack.
  • The children enjoyed the sack race at the picnic.

Noun

1. the termination of someone's employment (leaving them free to depart)
2. the plundering of a place by an army or mob; usually involves destruction and slaughter
   • the sack of Rome
3. a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist
4. a hanging bed of canvas or rope netting (usually suspended between two trees); swings easily
5. a woman's full loose hiplength jacket
6. any of various light dry strong white wine from Spain and Canary Islands (including sherry)
7. the quantity contained in a sack
8. an enclosed space
   • the trapped miners found a pocket of air
9. a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases

Verb

1. put in a sack
   • The grocer sacked the onions
2. make as a net profit
   • The company cleared $1 million
3. terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position
   • The boss fired his secretary today
   • The company terminated 25% of its workers
4. plunder (a town) after capture
   • the barbarians sacked Rome