north. and Sc. Forms: 5 sokk(e, 5–6 sok, 5–7 soke; 6 sucke, socke, 7– sock. [a. OF. soc (12th cent.; so mod.F.), commonly regarded as of Celtic origin.]
1. A ploughshare.
1404. Durh. Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 398. ij aratra cum ij sokkis. Ibid. (1405–6), 222. Pro j sok et ploghschoue.
1483. Cath. Angl., 348/2. A Sokk of a plughe,… vomer vel vomis.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, VII. xi. 79. Al instrumentis of pleuch graith,… As culturis, sokis, and the sovmis gret.
1559. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), I. 170. A kowter, a soke.
1570. Levins, Manip., 185/1. Ye Sucke of a plow.
1691. Ray, N. C. Words (ed. 2), A Sock or Plough-sock; a Plough-share.
1745. trans. Columella’s Husb., II. i. When such leaves … are … turned over with the sock, and mixed with the lower ground.
1765. A. Dickson, Treat. Agric., II. (ed. 2), 236. The plough thus set right by the way of fitting on the sock, will be heavy to draw.
1814. Scott, Diary, 6 Aug., in Lockhart. An old-fashioned Zetland plough … had … a coulter, but no sock.
1844. Stephens, Book Farm, I. 411. The share or sock … is fitted upon a prolongation of the sole-bar of the body-frame.
1890. Proc. Soc. Antiquaries, 9 Jan., 30. A lad, whilst ploughing,… found the bronze bell wedged on to the ‘sock’ of the plough.
b. attrib., as sock-guard, iron, -plate.
1371. Fabric Rolls York Minster (Surtees), 7. Et in … j sokeiren, j pari belowes,… emptis.
1844. H. Stephens, Book Farm, I. 415. The share is always formed from a plate forged for the express purpose at the iron-mills, and known in the trade by the term sock-plate.
1893. in Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v., These were wood plews,… an’ hed a sock-guard to prevent t’ sock comin’ off.
2. Sock and scythe, used to denote plowing and mowing. Also attrib. with land.
1597. Skene, De Verb. Sign., M v b, Hvsbandland, conteinis commonlie 6. aikers of sok & syith lande: That is of sik land as may be tilled by ane pleuch, or may be mawed with ane syith.
1824. Mactaggart, Gallovid. Encycl., 26. I was fit for baith sock and sythe. Ibid., 412. At sock or scythe they hae nae match.
