sock

1 of 3

noun (1)

plural socks
1
archaic : a low shoe or slipper
2
also plural sox ˈsäks How to pronounce sock (audio) : a knitted or woven covering for the foot usually worn under shoes and extending above the ankle and sometimes to the knee
3
a
: a shoe worn by actors in Greek and Roman comedy
b
: comic drama
sockless adjective

sock

2 of 3

verb

socked; socking; socks

transitive verb

: to hit, strike, or apply forcefully
sock a home run
an area socked by a blizzard

intransitive verb

: to deliver a blow : hit

sock

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a vigorous or violent blow
Phrases
sock it to
slang
: to subject to or as if to a vigorous assault
they may let you off the first time … but the second time they'll sock it to youJames Jones

Examples of sock in a Sentence

Noun (1) black socks to go with black pants and shoes Verb kept socking the punching bag until he was exhausted Noun (2) a wiseacre who deserves a good sock in the face
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Rodgers wore his white socks high while running to the end zone. Zach Berman, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 Mead acknowledged that Kay’s wife has described Mead and another Angels staffer coming to the Kay home after a family intervention on the last day of the Angels season in 2017 and seeing in Kay’s room 60 pills divided up into baggies of 10 pills each, some hidden in socks or shoes. Sean Emery, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Ten years after his expulsion, Saleh’s third feature in the trilogy, after Boy From Heaven, socks it to Egypt’s military leaders and General Intelligence Service (GIS), and by implication al-Sisi. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025 The 170-grain slug socked him right between the horns. Bob Cary, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sock

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English socke, from Old English socc, from Latin soccus

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1700, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sock was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Sock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sock. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sock

1 of 3 noun
plural socks also sox ˈsäks How to pronounce sock (audio)
: a knitted or woven covering for the foot usually extending above the ankle and sometimes to the knee

sock

2 of 3 verb
: to hit, strike, or apply forcefully : deliver a blow

sock

3 of 3 noun
: a violent blow : punch
Etymology

Noun

Old English socc "a low shoe or slipper," from Latin soccus (same meaning)

Verb

origin unknown

More from Merriam-Webster on sock

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