sock 1
— sockless , adj. — socklessness , n.
/sok/ , n. , pl. socks or, for 1, also sox .
1. a short stocking usually reaching to the calf or just above the ankle.
2. a lightweight shoe worn by ancient Greek and Roman comic actors.
3. 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).
[ bef. 900; ME socke, OE socc soccus slipper ]
sock 2
/sok/ , Slang.
v.t.
1. to strike or hit hard.
2. sock away , to put into savings or reserve.
3. sock in , to close or ground because of adverse weather conditions: The airport was socked in.
n.
4. a hard blow.
5. a very successful show, performance, actor, etc.: The show was a sock.
adj.
6. extremely successful: a sock performance.
[ 1690-1700; orig. uncert. ]