What does "sock" mean?
A knitted or woven covering for the foot.
Sock
/sɒk/ adj, intj, noun, verb, slang
adj, intj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A knitted or woven covering for the foot.
- Grammar: sock is listed as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: air sock, air-sleeve, ballet skirt, bang.
- Useful contrasts: barefoot, dissipate, dodge.
- Usage evidence: You have your right sock on wrong side out.
How to use "sock"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sock" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sock" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sock" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sock" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sock" is acting as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "air sock" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sock", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A knitted or woven covering for the foot.
- 2 A violent blow; a punch. slang
"‘Say, does that sock in the jaw hurt any more? It was a dinger.’"
- 3 A ploughshare.
"In the county of Wexford, where the beam was much shorter[…] the sock in general is of cast iron."
- 4 Clipping of socket. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
- 5 hosiery consisting of a cloth covering for the foot; worn inside the shoe; reaches to between the ankle and the knee wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Synonym of soccus, a light shoe worn by Ancient Greek and Roman comedic actors. historical, uncommon
- 7 a truncated cloth cone mounted on a mast; used (e.g., at airports) to show the direction of the wind wordnet
- 8 The lower leg of an animal (of an animal) that is a different color (usually white) from the color pattern on the rest of the animal.
- 9 A sleeve for a microphone to reduce noise.
"Turns out a sock is a soft cylindrical cover that goes over the mic. The sock sat forlornly on the table. It looked lonely. It reminded me of me. Aaron told me I punctuated my ps too much — I'm too punchy — and that I needed to soften how I spoke. He told me to put the sock' on the mic."
- 10 Ellipsis of gun sock. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal
- 11 Ellipsis of sock puppet. Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 12 Ellipsis of windsock. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal
"At 1331:58, UA Flight 757 reported that it was ready for takeoff on runway 35R. However, at 1332:05, 7 seconds later, it reported, "Ah, this is seven fifty seven, our sock sitting in front of us gives us a pretty good tail wind so we're not ready to go yet." The controller asked the flight to advise him when conditions were better."
Verb
- 1 To hit or strike violently; to deliver a blow to. slang, transitive
""We must get the old dear out," said Lord Roxton to Malone. "He'll be had for manslaughter if we don't. What I mean, he's not responsible - he'll sock someone and be lagged for it.""
- 2 hit hard wordnet
- 3 To throw. slang, transitive
Adjective
- 1 Extremely successful. dated, not-comparable, slang
"1960, Billboard magazine reviewer Sock performance on a catchy rhythm ditty with infectious tempo."
Intj
- 1 The sound of a punch or powerful blow.
"Whap, Biff, Ooooof, Sock, Pow, Zok! Batman is back. Gotham City is again leaving its law and order in the hands of a man who wears plastic underpants over his tights."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"You have your right sock on wrong side out."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sock"?
Common synonyms include: air sock, air-sleeve, ballet skirt, bang, bash, bash.
How do you use "sock" in a sentence?
You have your right sock on wrong side out.
How do you pronounce "sock"?
Pronounced /sɒk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English socke, sokke, sok, from Old English socc (“sock, light shoe, slipper”), a West Germanic borrowing from Latin soccus (“a light shoe or slipper, buskin”), from Ancient Greek σύκχος (súkkhos, “a kind of shoe”), probably from Phrygian or from an Anatolian language. Beekes compares Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬑𐬀 (haxa, “sole of the foot”). Cognate with Scots sok (“sock, stocking”), West Frisian sok (“sock”), Dutch sok (“sock”), German Socke (“sock”), Danish sok, sokke (“sock”), Swedish sock, socka (“sock”), Icelandic sokkur (“sock”). Doublet of zocco; also related to zoccolo, socle, and zocalo.
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeic. Compare Portuguese soco (“a hit with one's hand; a punch”).
Etymology 3
From French soc.