noun
socket
SO-kiht
noun
1
A hollow opening designed to hold or receive a matching part, such as an electrical plug or a light bulb.
"Plug the lamp into the wall socket."
"The bone fits snugly into its socket at the hip joint."
2
In computing, an endpoint used for sending and receiving data between programs over a network.
"The server listens for connections on a network socket."
How to Use Socket
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA hole or fitting that something else plugs or slots into, whether physical (electrical, anatomical) or in software (network connections).
Common pairings
power socket
eye socket
network socket
Word Forms
socketed past tense, sockets plural, sockets singular
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Etymology
From Anglo-Norman soket, a diminutive of Old French soc ("plowshare"), ultimately from a Celtic word meaning "pig's snout" — describing the pointed shape.