The noun "socket" has 3 senses in WordNet.

1. socket -- (a bony hollow into which a structure fits)
2. socket -- (receptacle where something (a pipe or probe or end of a bone) is inserted)
3. socket -- (a receptacle into which an electric device can be inserted)
 

Socket
This is a communication mechanism originally implemented on the BSD version of the UNIX operating system. Sockets are used as endpoints for sending and receiving data between computers.

Socket
Sockets are software objects that connect an application to a network protocol or other computer somewhere on the net. You could have many sockets, including one for FTP, HTTP, telnet, and email. Once a connection is made through the socket, which is not a physical component, the client can use the services provided by the host. Both UNIX and Microsoft operating systems support the use of these software objects. A socket can be created in one of a variety of languages, including c, c++, and java. These should not be confused with hardware sockets, such as processor sockets on motherboards or sockets for network cables, such as RJ11 or RJ45.

Socket
A software object used by a client to connect to a server; basic components include the port number and the network address of the local host.

socket
The logical end point of a TCP/IP connection. An application accesses a TCP/IP connection through a socket.

socket
Combination of an IP-address and a port-number, that uniquely identifies a service on the internet. A pair of sockets, sender and receiver, uniquely identifies a network connection in TCP.