Library / English Dictionary

SOCK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hosiery consisting of a cloth covering for the foot; worn inside the shoe; reaches to between the ankle and the knee

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("sock" is a kind of...):

hose; hosiery (socks and stockings and tights collectively (the British include underwear))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sock"):

anklet; anklets; bobbysock; bobbysocks (a sock that reaches just above the ankle)

argyle; argyll (a sock knitted or woven with an argyle design (usually used in the plural))

athletic sock; sweat sock; varsity sock (a sock worn for athletic events)

knee-hi; knee-high (a sock or stocking that reaches up to just below the knees)

tabi; tabis (a sock with a separation for the big toe; worn with thong sandals by the Japanese)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A truncated cloth cone mounted on a mast; used (e.g., at airports) to show the direction of the wind

Synonyms:

air-sleeve; air sock; drogue; sock; wind cone; wind sleeve; wind sock; windsock

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("sock" is a kind of...):

visual signal (a signal that involves visual communication)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hit hard

Synonyms:

bash; bonk; bop; sock; whap; whop

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "sock" is one way to...):

hit (deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The fighter managed to sock his opponent

Credits

 Context examples: 

But he ran on into the middle of the street, with a slipper on one foot and a sock on the other; he still had on his apron, and still held the gold chain and the pincers in his hands, and so he stood gazing up at the bird, while the sun came shining brightly down on the street.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The scientists tested the response of these mosquitoes to skin odorants by placing them in a wind tunnel with a plate of glass beads that had been worn in socks for several hours to give them the scent of human foot odor.

(How mosquitoes detect people, NIH)

Good foot hygiene is also crucial: • Check your feet every day • Wash your feet every day • Keep the skin soft and smooth • Smooth corns and calluses gently • If you can see, reach, and feel your feet, trim your toenails regularly. If you cannot, ask a foot doctor (podiatrist) to trim them for you. • Wear shoes and socks at all times • Protect your feet from hot and cold • Keep the blood flowing to your feet

(Diabetic Foot, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

The blanket socks were worn through in places, and his feet were raw and bleeding.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Then Martin began to alternate between the dryer and the wringer, between times "shaking out" socks and stockings.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

His bed had also been slept in, but he had apparently gone away partly dressed, since his shirt and socks were lying on the floor.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I had been sitting near this door, finishing off the last sock, and trying to understand what he said to a new scholar, who is as stupid as I am.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The researchers also discovered major differences in the amount of the toxic product detected, depending on the type of outlet selling the socks.

(Nine out of ten pairs of baby socks on the market contain traces of bisphenol A and parabens, University of Granada)

Now that the mining had ceased, Edith Nelson turned over the fire-building and the dish-washing to the men, while she darned their socks and mended their clothes.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

He wore shoes, but no socks, and his open coat disclosed a nightshirt beneath it.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)