smock
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to clothe in a smock.
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to draw (a fabric) by needlework into a honeycomb pattern with diamond-shaped recesses.
noun
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any loose protective garment, worn by artists, laboratory technicians, etc
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a woman's loose blouse-like garment, reaching to below the waist, worn over slacks, etc
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Also called: smock frock. a loose protective overgarment decorated with smocking, worn formerly esp by farm workers
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archaic a woman's loose undergarment, worn from the 16th to the 18th centuries
verb
Other Word Forms
- smocklike adjective
- unsmocked adjective
Etymology
Origin of smock
before 1000; Middle English (noun), Old English smocc; originally name for a garment with a hole for the head; compare Old Norse smjūga to put on (a garment) over the head
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Unlike kente, which is largely ceremonial, the smock is everyday wear," he said, referring to another form of traditional Ghanian dress worn during major celebrations.
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
There, finally, on the other side of the plexiglass, sat Khalil, swimming in a large blue smock.
From Slate • May 2, 2025
He donned a chef’s smock this week to show a couple of them off, including a green salad with apple, almonds, blueberry vinaigrette — and roasted cicadas.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 18, 2024
Loftus has been jailed since his arrest, and he appeared in court in a white smock and shackles, which Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ordered removed during the hearing.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2024
"Next," Black said while taking the smock off Needles and snapping it in the air.
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
