sock

UK: /ˈsɒk/ US: /sɑk/ ,(sok)

Inflections of 'sock' (n):

socks

npl (All usages)

sox

npl (Sometimes used commercially or informally)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sock¹ /sɑk/   n. [countable] , pl. socks or sometimes, sox. 

1. Clothing a short stocking usually reaching to the calf.

sock² /sɑk/   v. 

1. to hit hard:
   [~ + object] She socked him in the jaw.
2. sock away, to put into savings or reserve: [~ + away + object]
   socked away some money for an emergency.
   [~ + object + away]
   to sock money away.
3. Slang Terms sock in, [~ + in + object] to close up, as an airport, or ground (an aircraft):
   A heavy fog had socked in the whole air base.

n. [countable]

4. Slang Terms a hard blow.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sock¹  (sok), n., pl. socks or, for 1, also sox. 

1. Clothing a short stocking usually reaching to the calf or just above the ankle.
2. Clothing, Show Business a lightweight shoe worn by ancient Greek and Roman comic actors.
3. Show Business comic writing for the theater;
   comedy or comic drama. Cf. buskin (def. 4).
4. Furniture a raised vertical area of a club or pad foot.
5. knock one's or the socks off. See knock (def. 20).

• Middle English socke, Old English socc Latin soccus slipper bef. 900

sock′less, adj. 
sock′less•ness, n. 

sock²  (sok), [Slang.]
v.t. 

1. to strike or hit hard.
2. sock away, to put into savings or reserve.
3. Slang Terms sock in, to close or ground because of adverse weather conditions:
   The airport was socked in.

n. 

4. Slang Terms a hard blow.
5. Slang Terms a very successful show, performance, actor, etc.:
   The show was a sock.

adj. 

6. Slang Terms extremely successful:
   a sock performance.

• origin, originally uncertain 1690–1700

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sock / sɒk/ noun

1. a cloth covering for the foot, reaching to between the ankle and knee and worn inside a shoe
2. an insole put in a shoe, as to make it fit better
3. a light shoe worn by actors in ancient Greek and Roman comedy, sometimes taken to allude to comic drama in general (as in the phrase sock and buskin)
   See buskin
4. another name for windsock
5. knock one's socks off ⇒ to astound or greatly impress someone
6. pull one's socks up ⇒ to make a determined effort, esp in order to regain control of a situation
7. put a sock in it ⇒ be quiet!

Etymology: Old English socc a light shoe, from Latin soccus, from Greek sukkhos

sock / sɒk/ verb

1. (usually tr) to hit with force
2. sock it to ⇒ to make a forceful impression on

noun

1. a forceful blow

Etymology: 17th Century: of obscure origin