smock

[ smok ]
See synonyms for: smocksmocking on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a loose, lightweight overgarment worn to protect the clothing while working.

verb (used with object)
  1. to clothe in a smock.

  2. to draw (a fabric) by needlework into a honeycomb pattern with diamond-shaped recesses.

Origin of smock

1
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

Other words from smock

  • smocklike, adjective
  • un·smocked, adjective

Words Nearby smock

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use smock in a sentence

  • Michael himself, not so ruddy, nor so determined, in white smock and blue stockings.

    The Romance of His Life | Mary Cholmondeley
  • A smock covered her into shapelessness, and her spectacular hair was bound up in a kerchief, but she still looked good.

    Security | Poul William Anderson
  • Why do Michael and the gardeners wear smock frocks and blue stockings?

    The Romance of His Life | Mary Cholmondeley
  • And how had that little torn smock ever been drawn over those gigantic shoulders!

British Dictionary definitions for smock

smock

/ (smɒk) /


noun
  1. any loose protective garment, worn by artists, laboratory technicians, etc

  2. a woman's loose blouse-like garment, reaching to below the waist, worn over slacks, etc

  1. Also called: smock frock a loose protective overgarment decorated with smocking, worn formerly esp by farm workers

  2. archaic a woman's loose undergarment, worn from the 16th to the 18th centuries

verb
  1. to ornament (a garment) with smocking

Origin of smock

1
Old English smocc; related to Old High German smocco, Old Norse smokkr blouse, Middle High German gesmuc decoration

Derived forms of smock

  • smocklike, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012