Forms: 1, 3 smoc, 3–5 smok, 4– smock, 5–6 smokk; 4–8 smocke, 5–6 smokke; 5–7 smoke, 6 smoake. [OE. smoc, = ON. smokkr (once, and perh. from OE.), OHG. smoccho (once); cf. also NFris. smok woman’s shift (Helgoland, perh. from E.), neck-ruff (Sylt). The stem is probably related to that of OE. smúʓan to creep, ON. smjúga to creep into, put on, a garment.
The sense of ON. smokkr is however not certain; it may be some special application of the later Icel. smokkr, Norw. smokk, sheath, sheath-formed case or receptacle, finger-stall, etc.]
1. A woman’s undergarment; a shift or chemise. Now arch. or dial. (common down to 18th cent.).
For the use as a plant-name see LADY-SMOCK.
a. 1000. in Wr.-Wülcker, 210. Colobium..., loþa, hom, uel smoc, mentel.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., Ibid. 125. Colobium, smoc, uel syrc.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 163. Hire chemise [is] smal and hwit,… and hire smoc hwit.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 182. Are hire smok were of i-nome.
a. 1320. Sir Tristrem, 1788. Ȝour smock was solwy to sen, Bi mark þo ȝe schuld ly.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 52. Whit was hir smok, and browdid al byfore And eek byhynde on hir coler aboute.
c. 1425. Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 377. A smokke was her wede, garnysshyd curyously.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 373/1. He … wold not relece hir obedyence tyl that she was despoyled to hir smocke.
1559. W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 173. Their shirtes and smokes are saffroned.
1591. Greene, Farew. to Follie, Wks. (Grosart), IX. 316. Shee … standing in hir smocke by the bed side.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 200. The women … weare but three cubits of cloth in their smocks.
1674. trans. Scheffer’s Lapland, xvii. 89. The use of smocks is no more known among women than the use of shirts among men.
1735. Pope, Ep. Lady, 24. Agrees as ill … As Sappho’s di’monds with her dirty smock.
1837. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. Look at the Clock. You may sell my chemise (Mrs. P. was too well-bred to mention her smock).
1865. Kingsley, Herew., xv. I would sooner have her in her smock than any other woman with a dower.
Prov. 1461. Paston Lett., I. 542. Nere is my kyrtyl, but nerre is my smok.
1639. J. Clarke, Parœmiologia, 254. Neare is my petticoat, but nearer is my smock.
transf. 1677. Grew, Anat. Pl., Anat. Seeds (1682), 201. This sticks not to the midle Coat,… but commonly, remains entire, after those are stripp’d off, being as it were, the Smock of the Seed.
b. Offered (formerly) as a prize in races to be run by women or girls.
1722. Mrs. Bradshaw, in C’tess Suffolk’s Lett. (1824), I. 98. The Colonel gave a smock for the young wenches to run for.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, I. 225. See here this Prize, this rich lac’d Smock behold.
1812. in Holland, Cheshire Gloss. (1886), 325. A race for a good Holland smock by ladies of all ages.
1859. Hughes, Scour. White Horse, v. 91. I see, Sir, that ‘smocks to be run for by ladies’ is left out.
† c. Used allusively to denote a woman or womankind. Obs.
1591. Greene, Conny Catch., I. Wks. (Grosart), X. 60. The Collier … said he would be tried by the verdit of the smock.
1612. Pasquil’s Night-Cap (1877), 7. If his sweet worship … Scrape fauour with some female-wedded smocke.
1693. Shadwell, Volunteers, III. i. Thou wert a pretty Fellow, to rebel all thy Life-time against Princes, and trail a Pike under a Smock-Rampant at last!
2. = SMOCK-FROCK 1.
1831. Carlyle, Sartor Res., I. iv. The broad button of Birmingham spelter in a Clown’s stock.
1882. Serjt. Ballantine, Exper., 16. A man … clad in one of the ordinary white smocks worn by labourers.
3. attrib. and Comb., as smock-dowry, -linen, -petticoat, -shirt, -skirt, -sleeve; also smock-like adj.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (Globe), 635/2. The deepe smock sleeve hanging to the grounde.
1603. J. Davies (Heref.), An Extasie, Wks. (Grosart), I. 90/2. Her nether smockes or smock-like Petticotes.
1611. Middleton & Dekker, Roaring Girl, V. ii. A wench with her smock-dowry, no portion with her but her lips and arms.
1627. Lismore Papers (1886), II. 222. 2 smock petticoats of worsted for my mother and my wife.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Wks., II. 165. From the loftie Quoyfe to the lowly … Smockeskirt.
1882. Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 452/2. Smock linen, the linen of which our peasants’ Smockfrocks are made, which is a strong even green linen, employed also for articles designed for embroidery.
1883. J. D. Osborne, in Century Mag., Nov., 74/2. Blue smock-shirts have it all to themselves.
b. In allusive terms, usually suggestive of loose conduct or immorality in, or in relation to, women, as smock-agent, -council, -employment, -fair, etc.
Examples are very common in 17th-cent. dramatists.
1632. Massinger, Maid Hon., II. ii. I hope, sir, You are not … employed by him As a *smock-agent to me.
a. 1652. Brome, City Wit, III. i. (1653), C vj. I’ll be hang’d if this Doctor be not of her *smock-Counsell.
1624. Massinger, Renegado, II. i. (1630), D 2. ’Tis but procuring A *smocke imploiment.
a. 1652. Brome, Novella, III. i. What make you here i’ th’ *Smock-Faire, precious Mistris?
1611. L. Barry, Ram Alley, IV. i. A knight, and never heard of *smock-fees?
1681. Dryden, Span. Fryar, II. i. Now Plague and Pox on his *Smock-Loyalty!
1640. Shirley, Imposture, V. iii. I was the agent ’twixt them: he was pleased To choose me his *smock-officer.
1632. B. Jonson, Magn. Lady, IV. ii. Keep these women-matters, *Smock-secrets to ourselves.
1705. Hickeringill, Priest-cr., II. Pref. A 3 b. Great Kindred, *Smock-Simony, and Whores, have advanc’d many a Sot to the Holy-Chair.
1598. Marston, Sco. Villanie, I. ii. 175. Lust fiered, Attended only with his *smock-sworne Page.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, IV. (Arb.), 102. This *smocktoy Paris … with falling woommanish hearelocks.
1611. B. Jonson, Catiline, IV. v. There are of us can be as exquisite traitors, As e’er a male-conspirator of you all. Cethegus. Ay, at *smock-treason, matron.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Elder Brother, III. ii. (1637), E 2. These *smocke vermin, How eagerly they leape at old mens kisses.
