socks

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of sock.

   He bought three pairs of wool socks for the winter hike.

   The dryer keeps eating one of every two socks she washes.

   Note

   The plural is regular, and it follows the noun into every one of its senses. A cat with white socks has markings on its lower legs, and online, socks are sock-puppet accounts. Informally, it can also be short for windsocks or gun socks. The same spelling is the verb form meaning "hits", so "she socks" and "her socks" can be told apart only by the words around them.

2. 2
   verbslang

   Third-person singular simple present of sock.

   Whenever the door sticks, he socks it with his shoulder to force it open.

   The boxer socks his opponent with a quick left hook.

   Note

   Here the form belongs to a slang verb with two meanings, to hit hard and to throw, and both are transitive: something always gets socked. Because the verb is slang, socks suits casual speech and lively narrative rather than formal writing. In a careful register, hits or throws does the same work. Unlike the plural noun, it needs an object after it.

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