What does sox mean?
“Sox” is an uncommon plural form of the English word “sock,” meaning the garments worn on the feet. It is best known from the traditional phrase “sox and shoes,” in which the pair of clothing terms forms a familiar alliterative expression. Outside that phrase, “socks” is the normal modern plural, so using “sox” can sound deliberately traditional, colloquial, regional, or playfully stylized. The form is not normally used to mean shoes themselves and should not be confused with capitalized “Sox,” the name associated with the Boston baseball club. Because the standard plural is “socks,” the form “sox” has a limited role in contemporary vocabulary, but it preserves a recognizable feature of older English and survives particularly well in songs, nursery expressions, and familiar pairings.
nounA variant of the plural of “sock,” now chiefly found in the phrase “sox and shoes” or in other informal expressions where a stylized plural is intended.
- An uncommon or stylized plural form of “sock,” especially familiar from the expression “sox and shoes.”
"He searched for his sox under the bed before putting on his shoes."
"She pulled on a pair of woolen sox before stepping outside."
"The old song lyric promised “sox and shoes” and little else."
An uncommon or stylized plural of “sock,” surviving chiefly in the expression “sox and shoes”; “socks” is the usual modern plural.
"He left his sox beside the door."
English has long tolerated more than one plural for “sock”; “sox” survives mainly in the familiar pairing “sox and shoes.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sox come from?
The form ultimately belongs to the long history of “sock,” an Old English word for a light shoe or covering for the foot. Middle English developed several plural forms, and “sox” became one of them through the historical loss of a final consonant in that plural system. The modern standard “socks” eventually displaced “sox” in ordinary use, while the older form remained familiar in certain expressions.
How sox is actually used
This form is uncommon in modern standard English and may sound deliberately old-fashioned, colloquial, regional, or stylized. Capitalization normally distinguishes it from “Sox,” the name of the professional baseball team formerly based in Boston.
Easily confused with sox
Lowercase “sox” is an uncommon plural form of “sock,” whereas capitalized “Sox” commonly refers to a Boston-area baseball team.
“Sox” refers to socks, while “stocks” may refer to shares of company ownership or, historically, wooden supports.