A piece of clothing worn on the foot, usually made of soft material and covering the ankle or part of the leg. Socks help keep feet warm, dry, and comfortable in shoes.
“Sock” comes from Old English “socc,” meaning a light shoe or slipper, from Latin “soccus,” a kind of low, soft shoe worn by actors. Over time, the word shifted from the shoe to the soft layer under or instead of a shoe. English kept the short, punchy form.
Before it lived in your laundry basket, a “sock” was a type of stage shoe for comic actors in ancient Rome. Now it’s the quiet hero preventing blisters and cold toes. The word shows how fashion items can shrink from public costume to private comfort over the centuries.
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