What does "socket" mean?
Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.; An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit (e.g. a light bulb socket).
Socket
/ˈsɒkɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.; An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit (e.g. a light bulb socket).
- Grammar: socket is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: acetabulum, alveolation, alveolus, antrum.
- Useful contrasts: detach, plug, plugs.
- Usage evidence: The eye socket is the bone receptacle in which the eye fits.
How to use "socket"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "socket" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "socket" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "socket" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "socket" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "socket" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acetabulum" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "socket", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.; An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit (e.g. a light bulb socket).
"Near-synonyms: jack, outlet, receptacle, wall socket"
- 2 a receptacle into which an electric device can be inserted wordnet
- 3 Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.; A hollow into a bone which a part fits, such as an eye, or another bone, in the case of a joint.
- 4 receptacle where something (a pipe or probe or end of a bone) is inserted wordnet
- 5 Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.; The socket head for a socket wrench.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a bony hollow into which a structure fits wordnet
- 7 Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.; A hollow tool for grasping and lifting tools dropped in a well-boring.
- 8 Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.; The hollow of a candlestick.
"Chriſt calls his Miniſters, Lux Mundi, the light of the World, Matth. 5. 14. therefore they must be alwayes giving forth their luſtre; their light must not go out till it be in the ſocket or till violent death as an extinguisher put it out."
- 9 One endpoint of a two-way communication link, used for interprocess communication across a network.
- 10 One endpoint of a two-way named pipe on Unix and Unix-like systems, used for interprocess communication.
- 11 A steel apparatus attached to a saddle to protect the thighs and legs.
Verb
- 1 To place or fit in a socket.
"Her head and trunk were carved out of, or rather into, the bole of a great red cedar. She seemed to be part of the tree itself, as if she had grown there at its heart, and the carver had only chipped away the outer wood so that you could see her. Her arms were spliced and socketed to the trunk, and were flung wide in a circling, compelling movement."
Example
"The eye socket is the bone receptacle in which the eye fits."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "socket"?
Common synonyms include: acetabulum, alveolation, alveolus, antrum, armpit, basin.
How do you use "socket" in a sentence?
The eye socket is the bone receptacle in which the eye fits.
How do you pronounce "socket"?
Pronounced /ˈsɒkɪt/.
Etymology
From Middle English socket, soket, from Anglo-Norman soket (“spearhead”), diminutive of Old French soc (“plowshare”), from Vulgar Latin *soccus, a word borrowed from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *sukkos (compare modern Welsh swch (“plowshare”)), literally "pig's snout", from Proto-Indo-European *suH-.