Forms: 1 socc, 4–7 socke, 7– sock (7 socque); 4–6 sokke, 5–6 sok (5 soke). [OE. socc, ad. L. soccus a light low-heeled shoe or slipper: of the same origin are OHG. soch, soc (MHG. soc, socke, G. socke, socken), MLG. socke, MDu. socke, soc (Du. zok, WFris. sok), OIcel. sokkr (Icel. sokkur, Norw. sokk, Sw. sock, Da. sokke). Also F. soque (1611).]
1. A covering for the foot, of the nature of a light shoe, slipper or pump. Now rare or Obs.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss., S 394. Soccus, socc, slebescoh.
a. 1030. Rule St. Benet (Logeman), 92. Pedules et caligas, soccas & hosan.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 400/2. Pynsone, sokke, pedipomita.
1451. Capgrave, Life St. Gilbert, 99. A peyre of old sokkys, or pinsones, whech our maystir had often wered.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Calcearium, a shoe, pinson, or socke. Ibid., Calceo,… to put on shoes, sockes or pinsons.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 621. Not being permitted to weare shooes, but in stead thereof vse sockes made of Rushes.
1663. Waterhouse, Fortescutus Illustr., 430. A Shooe like a slipper with an heel, which we call a Sock.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 30. Their Stockins are of Cloth the length of the leg, the feet whereof are socks of yellow or red Leather, according to their quality, sewed to the Stockins.
1799. Monthly Rev., XXX. 487. They have all very small feet, from inclosing them as tight as possible in socks of morocco leather.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xiii. III. 360. The few [Highlanders] who were so luxurious as to wear rude socks of untanned hide spurned them away.
† b. [After It. zoccolo.] A sandal, patten or clog. Obs. rare.
1691. trans. Emilianne’s Frauds Rom. Monks (ed. 3), 131. A large Convent of Religious,… called by the Italians, Soccelanti, because of the wooden Socks they were instead of Shoes.
1696. Phillips (ed. 5), Socque, a kind of Sandal, or wooden Patin for the Feet, worn by the begging Friers.
2. A short stocking covering the foot and usually reaching to the calf of the leg; half-hose.
1327. Pol. Songs (Camden), 330. Hii weren sockes in here shon, and felted botes above.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 961. His shon, sokkis, & hosyn, to draw of be ye bolde.
1464. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.), 481. Payd fore ij. payr shoes and ij. payr sokkes, xvj.d.
1531. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scotl. (1905), VI. 19. Ane elne small canves to be the King ane pair of sokkis.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 192/2. You must … put on a clean payer of sockes.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. iii. I. ii. (1651), 184. One pulled off his socks, another made ready his bed.
1682. Dryden, Medal, Ep. to Whigs. Even Protestant Socks are bought up among you, out of veneration to the name.
1753. Hanway, Trav., III. l. (1762), I. 228. They use … socks of wool, which reach over the ankles.
1768. Phil. Trans., LX. 122. Two or three pair of woollen socks, which we have on our feet.
1842. Bischoff, Woollen Manuf., II. 311. The socks which the women there knit.
Phr. c. 1520. Skelton, Magnyf., 1362. Trymme at her tayle, or a man can turne a socke.
1538. Bale, Thre Lawes, iii. They may go turn a sock.
attrib. and Comb. 1883. Daily News, 17 Sept., 6/3. In the sock department, however, there are complaints of want of business. Ibid. (1899), 27 Dec., 8/3. His tailoring and his sock-darning.
b. White sock, a white portion on the leg of a horse, extending half-way up to the knee.
1893. M. H. Hayes, Points of Horse, xx. (1897), 222. ‘White stocking’ … might be reserved for one that comes up as high as the knee or hock; while that of a ‘white sock’ might be used to signify the marking when it is shorter.
3. spec. A light shoe worn by comic actors on the ancient Greek and Roman stage; hence used allusively to denote comedy or the comic muse. Sock and buskin, comedy and tragedy, the drama or theatrical profession as a whole.
1597. Bp. Hall, Sat., I. i. 19 (1602), 2. Trumpet, and reeds, and socks, and buskins fine, I them bequeath: whose statues [etc.].
1626. Massinger, Roman Actor, I. i. The Greeks, to whom we owe the first invention Both of the buskined scene and humble sock.
1682. Dryden, Mac-Fl., 80. Great Fletcher never treads in buskins here, Nor greater Jonson dares in socks appear.
1746. Collins, The Manners, iv. The Comick Sock that binds thy feet!
1783. Cowper, Valediction, 34. To live by buskin, sock, and raree-show.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, III. xi. ¶ 1. Gentlemen of the sock and buskin are not on the best possible terms with the church.
1817. Byron, Beppo, xxxi. He was a critic upon operas, too, And knew all niceties of the sock and buskin.
† 4. (See quot.) Obs.–0
1611. Cotgr., Socque, a socke or sole of durt, or earth, cleauing to the bottome of the foot in a cloggie way, or in a moist & clayie soyle.
5. techn. (See quots.)
1851. Mech. Mag., 22 March, 239. A method of making the ‘socks’ or uppers of boots. Ibid. The sock is made of knitted material, with an elastic band at top.
1851. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 520/1. Varieties of socks for shoes, of cork and gutta percha covered with lamb-skin.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Sock,… an inner warm sole for a shoe.
