Meaning & use
tube sock
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableAmerican
A simple sock knitted as a straight tube with no separate shaped heel, often long and made of cotton.
Grammar: Usually plural, because socks come in pairs: a pair of tube socks.
Patterns
- a pair of tube socks
- wear tube socks
He pulled a pair of white tube socks up to his knees before the game.
Tube socks are cheap and come in large packs at the store.
She wore thick tube socks inside her boots.
Word forms
| plural | tube socks |
|---|
Common combinations
- pair of tube socks
- I bought a pair of tube socks for the gym.
- white tube socks
- He wore white tube socks with his sneakers.
- knee-high tube socks
- The team wore knee-high tube socks in school colors.
- cotton tube socks
- Cotton tube socks are comfortable for everyday wear.
- striped tube socks
- The costume included striped tube socks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- athletic sock
- This is a broader term for socks made for sport; a tube sock is one style of athletic sock.
- crew sock
- This describes a sock reaching mid-calf, and may have a shaped heel, unlike a tube sock.
- stocking
- This is longer and thinner, often for women or for formal wear, and is not meant for casual sports.
Word family
Commonly confused: tube sock or crew sock?
tube sock vs crew sock
A crew sock has a shaped heel and reaches mid-calf; a tube sock has no heel shape and is a plain tube.
Practice
What is the main feature of a tube sock?
Choose one answer.
A tube sock is knitted straight with no shaped heel. A shaped heel belongs to other styles, and tube socks are not always short or made of wool.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tube sock”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.