dock 1
/dok/ , n.
1. a landing pier.
2. the space or waterway between two piers or wharves, as for receiving a ship while in port.
3. such a waterway, enclosed or open, together with the surrounding piers, wharves, etc.
4. See dry dock .
5. a platform for loading and unloading trucks, railway freight cars, etc.
6. an airplane hangar or repair shed.
7. Also called scene dock . a place in a theater near the stage or beneath the floor of the stage for the storage of scenery.
v.t.
8. to bring (a ship or boat) into a dock; lay up in a dock.
9. to place in dry dock, as for repairs, cleaning, or painting.
10. to join (a space vehicle) with another or with a space station in outer space.
v.i.
11. to come or go into a dock or dry dock.
12. (of two space vehicles) to join together in outer space.
[ 1505-15; doc ( ke ) ]
dock 2
/dok/ , n.
1. the solid or fleshy part of an animal's tail, as distinguished from the hair.
2. the part of a tail left after cutting or clipping.
v.t.
3. to cut off the end of; cut short: to dock a tail.
4. to cut short the tail of: to dock a horse.
5. to deduct from the wages of, usually as a punishment: The boss docked him a day's pay.
6. to deduct from (wages): The boss docked his paycheck $20.
[ 1300-50; ME dok, OE -docca, in fingirdoccana (gen. pl.) finger muscles; c. Fris dok, LG docke bundle, Icel dokkur stumpy tail, MHG tocke bundle, sheaf ]
dock 3
/dok/ , n.
1. the place in a courtroom where a prisoner is placed during trial.
2. in the dock , being tried in a court, esp. a criminal court; on trial.
[ 1580-90; perh. dok (dial. sense) cage, poultry pen, rabbit hutch ]
dock 4
/dok/ , n.
1. any of various weedy plants belonging to the genus Rumex, of the buckwheat family, as R. obtusifolius (bitter dock) or R. acetosa (sour dock) , having long taproots.
2. any of various other plants, mostly coarse weeds.
[ bef. 1000; ME dokke, OE docce; c. MD docke, MHG tocke ]