Meaning & use
a tube sock
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A soft sock shaped like a plain tube, with no shaped heel and usually a ribbed top.
Grammar: Countable: say a tube sock, two tube socks, or a pair of tube socks.
Patterns
- a pair of tube socks
- wear tube socks
- tube socks with stripes
He pulled on a tube sock and then laced up his running shoes.
These tube socks stay up better than the thin dress socks I usually wear.
She bought a pack of white tube socks for gym class.
nouncountableinformal
A thick, stretchy sock of this kind, often worn in sports or casually.
Grammar: Often used in the plural when talking about the pair you wear.
Patterns
- sports tube socks
- a tube sock on one foot
The basketball team wears tall tube socks with their shorts.
One tube sock had a hole in the toe, so he threw it away.
Word forms
| plural | tube socks |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pair of tube socks
- I need a pair of tube socks for the hike.
- white tube socks
- He always wears white tube socks with sneakers.
- pull on a tube sock
- She pulled on a tube sock while hopping toward the door.
- tube socks with stripes
- The kids picked tube socks with colorful stripes.
- a pack of tube socks
- We bought a pack of tube socks at the supermarket.
Synonyms and how they differ
- crew sock
- A crew sock also covers the ankle but has a shaped heel and a shorter top, so it fits more snugly than a tube sock.
- ankle sock
- An ankle sock stops just below the ankle, while a tube sock is longer and straighter.
- knee-high sock
- A knee-high sock reaches the knee; a tube sock is usually shorter but has a similar straight shape.
Word family
- sock noun
- A soft covering for the foot, of which a tube sock is one kind.
- sockless adjective
- Wearing no socks at all.
Commonly confused: a tube sock or stocking? a tube sock or slipper?
a tube sock vs stocking
A stocking is thinner and often worn with formal or medical clothing, while a tube sock is thicker and casual.
a tube sock vs slipper
A slipper is a soft shoe worn indoors, not a sock; people sometimes mix up the two words when talking about cozy footwear.
Practice
Which sentence uses "tube sock" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"A tube sock" is one countable item, so "for each foot" fits and the singular article is correct. Option 2 is wrong because one sock cannot cover both feet. Option 3 needs a determiner such as "a" or "some." Option 4 wrongly mixes "a" with the plural "socks."
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a tube sock”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.