sack¹ / sak/ • n. 1. a large bag made of a strong material such as burlap, thick paper, or plastic, used for storing and carrying goods. ∎  the contents of such a bag or the amount it can contain: a sack of flour.2. a loose, unfitted, or shapeless garment, in particular:3. (the sack) inf. bed, esp. as regarded as a place for sex.4. (the sack) inf. dismissal from employment: he got the sack for swearing.5. inf. Baseball a base.6. Football an act of tackling a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a pass.• v. [tr.] 1. inf. dismiss from employment: any official found to be involved would be sacked on the spot.2. (sack out) inf. go to sleep or bed.3. Football tackle (a quarterback) behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a pass.PHRASES: hit the sack inf. go to bed.a sack of potatoes inf. used in similes to refer to clumsiness, inertness, or unceremonious treatment of the person or thing in question: he drags me in like a sack of potatoes.DERIVATIVES: sack·a·ble adj.sack·like / -ˌlīk/ adj.sack² • v. [tr.] chiefly hist. plunder and destroy (a captured town, building, or other place).• n. the pillaging of a town or city.sack³ • n. hist. a dry white wine formerly imported into Britain from Spain and the Canary Islands.

sack1 large oblong bag open at one end. OE. sacc — L. saccus bag, sack, sackcloth (whence (O)F. sac, It. sacco), corr. to Gr. sákkos packing-material, of Sem. orig. Comp. sackcloth coarse textile fabric, esp. as a material for penitential garb. XIV.
Hence sack vb.1 A. put into a sack XIV; B. dismiss, discharge XIX. In A, partly after medL. saccāre or MDu. sacken, etc.; in B, f. phr. give (a person) the sack (XIX), which has analogues in F. donner son sac à quelqu'un, (M)Du. iemand den zak geven, and in F. vb. sacquer.

sack2 gen. name for a class of white wines from Spain and the Canaries. XVI. orig. (wyne) seck — F. vin sec dry wine (see SEC); perh. orig. applied to dry wines of the sherry class, but later extended to others. The alt. of seck to sack is unexpl.

sack Old name for a variety of white wines from Spain and the Canaries, e.g. sherry.

sack4, also sac, (pseudo-F.) sacque loose gown for women XVI; loose-fitting coat XIX. prob. orig. a use of SACK1, later assoc. with F. sac.