pouch

IPA/paʊtʃ/
KK[pˈaʊtʃ]IPA/paʊtʃ/

pouch — noun

  • pouchsingular
  • pouchesplural

1. a small soft bag used to hold or carry things, often one set or amount of them.

1.nounB2
Definition

a small soft bag used to hold or carry things, often one set or amount of them.

Example

Maria kept spare coins in a blue pouch beside the ticket machine.

collocation: in a pouch

Each camper received a waterproof pouch for matches and dry rice.

pattern: pouch for + noun

Common collocations
  • blue pouch
  • waterproof pouch
  • velvet pouch
  • pouch for matches
Synonyms
  • bag

    the broad everyday word and often larger than a pouch

  • sachet

    usually a small sealed packet for powder, liquid, or scent

  • case

    often firmer or more protective than a soft pouch

Usage Note

Common with materials or purposes, as in 'leather pouch', 'paper pouch', or 'pouch for coins'. Unlike a pocket, a pouch is usually a separate bag.

Common Mistakes

I kept my ticket on a pouch.
I kept my ticket in a pouch.
use 'in' because the thing is inside the bag.

2. a skin pocket on some female animals where a newborn stays after birth.

2.nounC2
Definition

a skin pocket on some female animals where a newborn stays after birth.

Example

The baby kangaroo slept in its mother's pouch during the bus ride.

collocation: in its mother's pouch

At the zoo, children waited for the baby to look out from the pouch.

Common collocations
  • mother's pouch
  • inside the pouch
  • carry in her pouch
  • look out from the pouch
Synonyms
  • marsupium

    technical biological name for this structure

  • sac

    a broader anatomy word and less specific about carrying young

Usage Note

Usually refers to marsupials such as kangaroos and wallabies.

3. a skin-lined space inside an animal's mouth or cheek where it keeps food until l

3.nounC2
Definition

a skin-lined space inside an animal's mouth or cheek where it keeps food until later.

Example

The hamster hid dry peas in each cheek pouch before bedtime.

collocation: cheek pouch

One cheek pouch hung low because the chipmunk had stored acorns.

Common collocations
  • cheek pouch
  • hid in the pouch
  • pouch hung low
  • pouches with fruit
Synonyms
  • cheek sac

    a technical phrase for the same mouth storage space

  • sac

    a general anatomy word and not limited to the mouth

Usage Note

Often appears in the phrase 'cheek pouch'. Distinguish from sense 2: this pouch stores food, not a baby animal.

pouch — verb

Word family

  • pouched
    adjectiveC2
  • pouchlike
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, a pouch is a small soft bag, often for one kind of item or for a small amount. Bag is the broad everyday word and can refer to containers of many sizes, so it sounds less specific. Packet usually means a thin paper or plastic wrapper, often for one serving, and it is less often reused. Case often suggests a firmer shape or a protective shell, especially for glasses, tools, or electronics. A pouch sits between these ideas: it is soft like a bag, but more compact and purpose-specific. You might keep coins in a leather pouch, sugar in a paper packet, and your glasses in a hard case.

pouch ↗bag ↗packet ↗case ↗

Etymology

Old Northern FrenchOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Pouch came into Middle English from Old Northern French pouche, a form of an Old French word meaning 'bag'. The word is also related to older Germanic words for a bag, including Old English pocca. English first used it for a small soft bag, then extended the same image to animal body pockets and to the verb meaning 'bulge like a bag'.