ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sock

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈsɑk// UK //sˈɒk// sock Archaic General-service Informal Slang

n. a piece of clothing that you wear on your foot inside your shoe. It keeps your foot warm and dry.

n. a knitted or woven garment covering the foot and lower part of the leg, typically worn inside a shoe or boot.


SIMPLE

I need to buy a new pair of wool socks for winter.

CONTEXTUAL

He took off his shoes and noticed a small hole in the toe of his left sock.

COMPLEX

Modern athletic socks are often engineered with moisture-wicking fabrics and reinforced arches to provide better support during high-impact activities like running.

Synonyms
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.

Usage

Usually used in the plural; the singular form refers to one item of the pair.

Idioms1 entry

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