a bony hollow into which a structure fits
"The surgeon carefully aligned the metal plate so that each screw head sat flush within its corresponding bone socket."
receptacle where something (a pipe or probe or end of a bone) is inserted
"The surgeon carefully aligned the metal rod into the prepared socket at the top of her thigh bone before securing it."
a receptacle into which an electric device can be inserted
"I need to check if there is power in the wall socket before I plug in my laptop charger."
An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit (e.g. a light bulb socket).
"She reached up to twist the burnt-out light bulb out of its socket before screwing in the new one."
In plain English: A socket is an empty hole where you plug something in to connect it to power or another device.
"Please plug your lamp into the wall socket to turn on the light."
To place or fit in a socket.
"The technician carefully placed the new bulb into its socket to restore the lamp's light."
In plain English: To socket something means to put it into a hole so that it fits tightly and stays in place.
"Please plug the lamp into the wall socket."
Usage: Use this verb when physically inserting an object, such as a plug or tool bit, into its corresponding receptacle to establish a connection. It is often confused with the noun form but specifically describes the action of fitting something securely into place.
The word socket entered English via Middle English and Anglo-Norman as a diminutive of the Old French term for plowshare. Its ultimate origin traces back to a Gaulish root meaning "pig's snout," which described the shape of an early agricultural tool.