ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sock

n. · v.
US //ˈsɑk// UK //sˈɒk// sock
  1. 1 footwear (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a piece of clothing that you wear on your foot inside your shoe.

    a knitted or woven covering for the foot and lower leg, typically worn inside a shoe.

    Example

    He realized he was wearing one black sock and one blue sock.

    Example

    The hiker opted for thick woollen socks to prevent blisters during the long ascent up the mountain trail.
    • hosiery
  2. 2 a hard hit (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang

    a hard hit or punch with a fist.

    a powerful physical blow or punch delivered with the fist.

    Example

    The hero gave the villain a good sock on the jaw.

    Example

    In the old comic books, a physical confrontation often ended with a satisfying sock to the nose of the antagonist.
  3. 3 fake online account (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang Computing

    a fake social media account used by someone to hide their real identity.

    an abbreviation of 'sock puppet', referring to a secondary online identity used for purposes of deception or manipulation.

    Example

    The celebrity was caught using a sock to defend his own posts.

    Example

    Moderators quickly identified the user as a sock created specifically to circumvent the forum's permanent ban.
  4. 4 wind indicator (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Aviation

    a tube of cloth at an airport that shows which way the wind is blowing.

    a truncated cloth cone used at airfields to indicate wind direction and approximate speed.

    Example

    The pilot looked at the sock to check the wind before landing.

    Example

    The orange sock stood out against the grey sky, indicating a strong crosswind that would make the landing challenging.
    • windsock
    • drogue
  5. 5 to hit hard (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang

    to hit someone or something very hard.

    to strike someone or something with significant force, usually with the fist.

    Example

    He wanted to sock the man who had insulted his family.

    Example

    The boxer managed to sock his opponent squarely in the ribs, momentarily taking his breath away.
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.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Idioms6 entries
Related words

Last updated June 20, 2026