From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsacksack1 /sæk/ ●●○ S3 noun [countable] 1 a) TADa large bag made of strong rough cloth or strong paper, used for storing or carrying flour, coal, vegetables etcsack of a sack of potatoes b) (also sackful)TM the amount that a sack can containsack of We need about a sack of rice.2 → the sack3 → hit the sack4 → in the sack5 → the sack of something
Examples from the Corpus
sack• The Kat was then bundled up in a sack by the Right to Censor and taken away.• She held Janir in her arms, but loosely, like a sack of wheat about to be spilled.• a sack of groceries• The corpses are carried out on pallets, the drop cloths and sacks removed and folded for use next time.• Somewhere among all these trees the Friar was in pursuit of his sack, not knowing that the sack was on Marian's shoulder.• Doleman is tied for the team lead in sacks with three.• The van was capacious and he decided to fill up the space with a couple of sacks of fuel.• They wrapped old sacks round themselves to keep out the cold.• a brown paper sack• In six games against the team, he has recorded 14 tackles, four quarterback sacks and knocked down a pass.sacksack2 verb [transitive] 1 British English informalLEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATION to dismiss someone from their job SYN fire They couldn’t sack me – I’d done nothing wrong.sack somebody from something He was sacked from every other job he had.sack somebody for (doing) something He was sacked for being drunk.RegisterIn written and formal British English, people often prefer to use dismiss rather than sack:People can be dismissed for misusing the Internet at work.2 DSAto knock down the quarterback in American football3 PMAATTACKif soldiers sack a place, they go through it destroying or stealing things and attacking people The Goths sacked Rome. → sack out→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
sack• The invaders sacked Delphi and founded Galatia.• Why sack everything, why go for the total wipeout?• Four years later Brian and Mike, a technician and a linguist were among fourteen sacked for refusing to do so.• Hundreds sacked in the credit card war.• Because you sacked Jim, how dare you do it?• Thousands of children were sacked, many of whom then found work in more dangerous industries.• Either Peter would sack me, or I would improve.• Perhaps, as Clement Attlee once said of a minister he was sacking, they are simply not up to the job.• I told you to sack Wally before I left, he said.sack somebody for (doing) something• Glover finished with five total tackles and one sack.• Tackle Dana Stubblefield sacking Aikman twice for a total loss of 17 yards.• She settled on a one-pound sack of cookies for about $ 1.• And don't bother sacking me for cheek.• Observers believe that Vassiliev and Kokonin were sacked chiefly for financial reasons.• These are particularly useful if the sack is intended for group use, or for young people who are still growing.• They also demanded the right to form a union and insisted on the reinstatement of policemen sacked earlier for indiscipline.• The preacher Sinnett squirmed in the bow sitting on the canvas sack meant for Lehman.From Longman Business Dictionarysacksack1 /sæk/ noun British English informal get the sack/give somebody the sackHUMAN RESOURCES to be dismissed from your job or to dismiss someone from their jobget the sack/give somebody the sack forHe got the sack for stealing.A sales assistant was given the sack after being rude to a customer.sacksack2 verb [transitive] British English informalHUMAN RESOURCES to dismiss someone from their jobSYNfireA dozen workers were sacked for refusing to work overtime. —sacking noun [countable]Following his sacking, he was found guilty of fraud.→ See Verb tableOrigin sack1 Old English sacc, from Latin saccus, from Greek sakkos “bag, sackcloth” sack2 1. (1900-2000) → SACK12. (1500-1600) sack “destruction of and stealing from a town” ((16-21 centuries)), from French sac ( → SAC), in the phrase mettre A sac “put in the bag”, from Italian mettere a sacco 