pouch

1 of 2

noun

ˈpau̇ch 

1

: a small drawstring bag carried on the person

2

a

: a bag of small or moderate size for storing or transporting goods

specifically : a lockable bag for first-class mail or diplomatic dispatches

b

chiefly Scotland : pocket

c

: packet

3

: an anatomical structure resembling a pouch

pouched

ˈpau̇cht 

adjective

pouch

2 of 2

verb

pouched; pouching; pouches

transitive verb

1

: to put or form into or as if into a pouch

2

: to transmit by pouch

intransitive verb

1

: to bulge in a manner suggesting a pouch

pouching cheeks

2

: to transmit mail or dispatches by pouch

Synonyms

Noun

• bag
• poke [chiefly Southern & Midland]
• sack

Verb

• bag
• balloon
• beetle
• belly
• billow
• bulge
• bunch
• jut
• overhang
• poke
• pooch [chiefly dialect]
• pout
• project
• protrude
• stand out
• start
• stick out
• swell

Examples of pouch in a Sentence

Noun

He carried his money in a small leather pouch in his pocket.

we sealed the catnip in a cloth pouch and tossed it to the cat

Verb

as he grew older, the skin on his neck pouched

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Poking out of the pen pouches on the satchel is a row of tiny state flags, representing each of the states that Michael’s office covered. —Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 10 May 2025

On the backside, a small, zippered pouch can hold first aid items, and the pass-through pocket makes a shell or other layer easy to grab or stash mid-run. —Lisa Jhung, Outside Online, 7 May 2025

Verb

Ratting on wildlife crime: Training African giant pouched rats to detect illegally trafficked wildlife. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

And finally, the yogurt pouches for her oldest son’s breakfast. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pouche, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English pocca bag

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1566, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing pouch

• retort pouch

Rhymes for pouch

• bouche
• couch
• crouch
• grouch
• ouch
• slouch
• vouch

Kids Definition

pouch

1 of 2 noun

ˈpau̇ch 

1

: a small bag that can be closed (as with a string)

tobacco pouch

2

: a structure in the form of a bag

especially : one for carrying the young on the abdomen of a female marsupial (as a kangaroo or opossum)

pouched

ˈpau̇cht 

adjective

pouch

2 of 2 verb

: to put or form into or as if into a pouch

Medical Definition

pouch

noun

ˈpau̇ch 

: an anatomical structure resembling a bag or pocket

a blind gastric pouch filled with bile and gastric juice

—The Journal of the American Medical Association