[hock] n [ME hoch, hough, fr. OE hoh heel; akin to ON hasin hock] (1540) 1 a: the tarsal joint or region in the hind limb of a digitigrade quadruped (as the horse) corresponding to the human ankle but elevated and bending backward--see horse illustration b: a joint of a fowl's leg that corresponds to the hock of a quadruped
2: a small cut of meat from either the front or hind leg just above the foot "ham ~s"
[2]hock n, often cap [modif. of G Hochheimer, fr. Hochheim, Germany] (ca. 1625) chiefly Brit: rhine wine 1 [3]hock vt (1878): pawn -- hock.er n [4]hock n [D hok pen, prison] (1883) 1 a:
[2]pawn
2. "got his watch out of ~" b: debt 3 "in ~ to the bank"
2: prison