Meaning of dock in English

Table of contents

Verb
dock
Etymology
late Middle English: perhaps related to Frisian dok‘bunch, ball (of string etc.)’ and German Docke‘doll’. The original noun sense was ‘the solid part of an animal's tail’, whence the verb sense ‘cut short an animal's tail’, later generalized to ‘reduce, deduct’
Definitions
1. come into dock
Examples
- « the ship docked »
Antonyms
- undock
Derived terms
2. deprive someone of benefits, as a penalty
3. deduct from someone's wages
4. remove or shorten the tail of an animal
Derived terms
5. haul into a dock
Examples
- « dock the ships »
Antonyms
- undock
Derived terms
Noun
dock
Etymology
late Middle English: from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German docke, of unknown origin
Definitions
1. an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial
2. any of certain coarse weedy plants with long taproots, sometimes used as table greens or in folk medicine
3. a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles
Examples
- « provides access to ships and boats »
Derived terms
4. a platform where trucks or trains can be loaded or unloaded
5. landing in a harbor next to a pier where ships are loaded and unloaded or repaired
Examples
- « may have gates to let water in or out »
- « the ship arrived at the dock more than a day late »
6. the solid bony part of the tail of an animal as distinguished from the hair
7. a short or shortened tail of certain animals
Derived terms
- bob
- tail

Famous quotes

« A time will come when a politician who has willfully made war and promoted international dissension will be as sure of the dock and much surer of the noose than a private homicide. It is not reasonable that those who gamble with men's lives should not stake their own. »
H. G. Wells
« I never had the high-paying job or the company car. It took me over a decade to pay off my student loans. I never had to worry about where to dock my yacht to reduce my taxes. »
Christine O'Donnell