Also 6–8 stockin, 7 stocken, (6 stokyng). [f. STOCK v.1 (sense 3) + -ING1.]
1. A close-fitting garment covering the foot, the leg, and often the knee, now usually made of knitted or woven wool, silk or cotton. Usually pl.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. 39. Othersome buy cloakes,… caps, coates, stockings, and the like.
1586. Acc. Bk. W. Wray, in Antiquary, XXXII. 76. Mony for a pr of stokyngs.
1593. Knaresb. Wills (Surtees), I. 195. My best under stockinges.
1603. [see JERSEY 1].
1607. E. H., Stow’s Chron., 477. This yeare 1589 was diuised and perfected the Art of knitting or weauing of silke stockings,… and diuerse other things by engines or steele Loomes by William Lee.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., I. iii. 30. Renouncing cleane The faith they haue in Tennis and tall Stockings, Short blistred Breeches.
1648. Sir J. Turner, Mem. (Bannatyne Club), 59. Riseing nixt morning, I misd one linnen stockine, one halfe silke one and one boothose, the accoustrement under a boote for one leg.
1697. Lond. Gaz., No. 3269/4. [Stolen] out of a Bag, half a dozen pair of Roll Stockins, and 18 pair of short Stockins.
1785. Burns, 1st Epist. J. Lapraik, ii. On Fasteneen we had a rockin, To ca’ the crack and weave our stockin.
1812. 2nd Rep. Comm. Framework-Knitters, 93. Socks … are half-stockings, or rather what is called pantaloon stockings.
1902. Eliz. L. Banks, Newspaper Girl, 78. I hurriedly pulled on my stockings, buttoned my boots,… and started out.
Proverbial, etc. 1695. Congreve, Love for Love, II. i. Nurse. Pray Heav’n send your Worship good Luck … for you have put on one Stocking with the wrong side outward.
1739. Byrom, Jrnl. & Lit. Rem. (1856), II. I. 223. The chief fault it had was that of King Stephen’s stockings, the costing too little price.
† b. ? A kind of legging or long boot, a ‘boot-hose’ or ‘boot-stocking.’ Obs.
1676. Wood, Life, 21 April (O.H.S.), II. 344. To Mr. Prince for a pair of riding leather stockings, 5s.
2. A stocking used a. as a purse or receptacle for storing one’s money; hence, a store of money; also with qualifying word, as big, fat, long stocking.
1873. A. G. Murdoch, Lilts on Doric Lyre, 90 (E.D.D.).
| An’, hooly, sirs, hooly, he wi’ him had brocht | |
| A stocking weel padded wi’ siller. |
1876. S[arah] R. Whitehead, Daft Davie, iii. 57. She had a ‘stocking’ gathered to meet the wants of an evil day, if such should come upon them.
1899. G. Ford, ’Postle Farm, xxxvii. 192. Granfer’s got money laid by in a stockin’ up the chimney.
1903. Farmer, Slang, s.v., Long-stocking (common), means in plenty: resources.
b. as a receptacle for the presents supposed by children to be deposited in it by ‘Father Christmas’ (or, in U.S., by Santa Claus) on Christmas eve.
1853. Susan & Anna B. Warner, Christmas Stocking (1854), 3. Little Carl always hung up his stocking, and generally had it filled—though not from any sleigh-load of wonderful things.
1883. G. W. Curtis, in Harper’s Mag., Dec., 15/2. San Claas or day of Saint Nicholas, the saint who generously filled the Christmas stocking and loaded the Christmas tree.
3. a. A surgical appliance resembling a stocking. Elastic stocking, a covering of elastic webbing worn as a remedial support for the leg, esp. when affected with varicose veins. b. A bandage for the leg of a horse.
[1676. Wiseman, Chirurg. Treat., II. ii. 170. In stead of a Rowler I put on a laced Stocking.]
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Stocking.… (Farriery.) A device for remedying injuries to the tendons, varicose veins, etc., occurring in the lower part of a horse’s leg.
1884. T. Bryant, Surg., I. 566. When exercise is allowed, steady pressure by a well-applied bandage … should be maintained, or an elastic stocking worn.
1894. [implied in STOCKINGED].
4. transf. Applied to the surface or coat of the leg (or the lower part of it) of a bird or beast, when of different color from the body.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xl. ‘And what didst thou learn there, forward imp?’ ‘To catch gulls, with their webbed feet and yellow stockings,’ said the boy.
1856. [H. H. Dixon], Post & Paddock, ii. 37. He was a very handsome rich bay, with a white stocking on his off hind leg.
1879. L. Wright, Pigeon Keeper, 124. The Beard [kind of pigeon] is usually only white at the ends of the thighs, or the ‘stockings.’
1893. R. Lydekker, Horns & Hoofs, 11. The absence of white ‘stockings’ as a distinctive feature of most of our domestic breeds [of cattle].
1908. Animal Management (Vet. Departm., War Office), 33. When the white hair extends just above the fetlock it is sometimes called a sock, and when much higher a stocking or leg.
5. Phrases.
a. To stand (a specified height) in one’s stockings, i.e., without one’s shoes. Cf. STOCKING-FOOT c.
1855. Smedley, H. Coverdale, i. Harry Coverdale stood six feet one in or out of his stockings.
1861. Harper’s Mag., Dec., 137/1. There is among his acquaintances one at least who enjoys a high reputation, for he stands over seven feet in his stockings.
b. To throw the stocking: said with reference to an old custom according to which on the wedding night the bride’s stocking was thrown among the guests; it was supposed that the person hit by it would be the first of the company to be married.
For other forms of this custom see Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v.
1694. N. H., Ladies Dict., 509/1. The Stockin being motioned, the Bride must sit up to have it thrown at her Nose, that the Batchellours may know by him that first hits it, who is to be marryed next.
1709. [W. King], Usef. Trans. Philos., March & April, 12. The Sack-Posset was eaten and the Stocking thrown.
1737. Pope, Hor. Epist., I. i. 148. At am’rous Flavio is the stocking thrown?
a. 1833. Anderson, Cumbld. Ball. (1904), 126. What! breyde forgat flingin the stokin.
a. 1845. Barham, Ingol. Leg., III. Wedding Day. They all come … To dance at her bridal, and help ‘throw the stocking’:—A practice that’s now discontinued as shocking.
6. = Stocking web (see 7 b).
1812. Rep. Committee Framework Knitters Petit., 18. There are goods made up into a large piece of stocking, and cut out, instead of being properly shaped on the stocking frame.
7. attrib. and Comb.: a. simple attrib., as stocking-heel, -manufactory, -manufacture, thread, -trade.
1891. T. Hardy, Tess, vii. I declare there’s a hole in my *stocking-heel!
1812. 1st Rep. Comm. Framework-Knitters, App. 48. Are you acquainted with the *stocking manufactory in general?
1765. Par. Reg. Calverton, in Felton, Hist. Machine-wrought Hosiery (1867), 30. The *Stocking manufacture very bad last year and this.
1833. J. Rennie, Alph. Angling, 37. These water blood-worms … are not much thicker than a *stocking thread.
1819. Rep. Sel. Comm. Framework-Knitters, 10. The number now employed in the *stocking trade in Leicester.
b. quasi-adj. with the meaning ‘made with the stocking-stitch, knitted, made of stockinet,’ as stocking-cap, cloth, material, night-cap, -piece, stuff, -web; stocking-net (rarely † knit; also attrib.), See quot. 1884 and cf. STOCKINET.
1902. Daily Chron., 14 Feb., 7/5. The captain offered him a *stocking-cap, and he objected to wear it.
1880. Cassell’s Family Mag. VI. 311/1. Bège tricot, woven as closely as possible to resemble *stocking-cloth, which the jersey bodices have brought to the fore.
1880. Mrs. L. S. Floyer, Hints Exam. Needlew., 55. Pieces of *stocking material (coarse) for darning.
1804. in Abridgm. Specif. Patents, Wearing Apparel, II. (1875), 19. A method of double seaming and uniting the inside of *stocking net work. Ibid. *Stocking knit work.
1832. Patent, in Newton’s Lond. Jrnl. (1838), XII. 275. Machinery … for making or manufacturing stockings, stocking-net, or framework knitting.
1884. Rowlett, Technol. Framework Knitting, I. 101. Stocking Net, i. e. plain framework made from woollen yarn on circular frames…. Of late years this has largely come into use for ladies’ jersies.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xxviii. [He] wore the trews,… wove out of a sort of chequered *stocking stuff.
1843. Penny Cycl., XXVII. 180/2. One continuous thread forms both warp and weft, if we may apply these terms to the *stocking-web.
1884. Cassell’s Family Mag., Feb., 185/2. The stocking-web jackets … fit the figure quite closely.
c. objective, as stocking-darning, -knitter, -knitting, -maker, -making, -manufacturer, -mender, -presser, -seller.
1839. Dickens, Nich. Nick., ix. Mrs. Squeers being engaged in the matronly pursuit of *stocking-darning.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. The Company of *Stocking-knitters establish’d at Paris in 1527, took for their Patron St. Fiacre.
1830. Scott, Hrt. Midl., Introd. She … knit feet to country-people’s stockings, which bears about the same relation to *stocking-knitting that cobbling does to shoe-making.
1619. Canterb. Marriage Licences (MS.), Start of Cranbrook, *stockenmaker.
1812. 1st Rep. Comm. Framework-Knitters, App. 44. There are four descriptions of persons concerned in the *stocking-making business.
a. 1876. M. Collins, Pen Sketches (1879), I. 149. Avoiding the dreary stocking-making town of Shepton Mallet.
1793–4. Matthews’s Bristol Directory, 11. Bailey, Henry, *Stocking-manufacturer.
1594. Nashe, Terrors of Night, Wks. (Grosart), III. 249. [They will] steale out a signe ouer a Coblers stall, lyke Aqua vitæ sellers and *stocking menders.
1686. Lond. Gaz., No. 2166/4. Mr. Edward Bonsaw, *Stocking-Presser.
1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., II. i. He beates a Tayler very well, but a *Stocking-seller admirably.
d. Special comb.: stocking board, a board upon which stockings when wet are stretched and dried to shape; stocking leg, that part of a stocking that covers the leg; also as a receptacle for money (see 2 above); stocking legger, ? one whose occupation was the seaming of stocking-legs; stocking loom, machine = STOCKING FRAME; † stocking man, a stocking-maker; stocking needle, a darning-needle; stocking-sole, the sole, or that part of a stocking that comes under the tread of the foot; in, on one’s stocking-soles, without one’s shoes (cf. 5 a above and STOCKING-FOOT c); stocking-stitch, the stitch used in hosiery (see quot.); stocking-throwing (see 5 b above); stocking-top, ? the upper part or leg of a stocking; stocking-trimmer (see quot. 1838); stocking-weaver, one who weaves with a stocking-frame; stocking-yarn, the thread used in making hosiery. Also STOCKING-FOOT, STOCKING-FRAME.
1862. Catal. Internat. Exhib., II. xxvii. 56. Glove and gauntlet trees and *stocking boards.
1861. R. Quinn, Heather Lintie (1863), 225. I’ve … A *stockin’ leg weel crammed, I trow, Wi’ glancin’ gowd sae yelly.
1727. Brice’s Weekly Jrnl., 10 Feb., 2. Thomas Herbert, jun. of London, *Stocking-legger.
1715. A. Hill, Acc. Beech-Oil Inv., 12. And thus the ingenious *Stocking Loom … was first invented.
1843. Penny Cycl., XXVII. 180/1. A singular confusion pervades the early history of the *stocking-machine.
1622. in Crt. & Times Jas. I. (1848), II. 346. *Stocking-men, haberdashers, point-makers, and other mean trades.
1886. A. D. Willock, Rosetty Ends (1887), 148. So, takin’ a bittie o’ paper, he wrote on it, ‘Dear Mary,’ an’ wi’ a *stockin’ needle an’ a bit worsit he steekit it on the inside o’ the collar.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 575. Thereof [of the otter-skin] also in Germany they make … *stocking-soles.
1827. Scott, Surg. Dau., v. A gallant young fellow like you,… six feet high on your stocking-soles.
1889. Barrie, Window in Thrums, xxi. Tibbie went ben the house in her stocking-soles, but Jess heard her.
1805. 6th Rep. Deputy Kpr. Publ. Rec., App. II. 154. Specification of … some new and improved kinds of *Stocking stitch, and warp work.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 648. The whole piece is composed of a single thread … looped together in a peculiar manner, which is called stocking-stitch, and sometimes chain-work.
1885. E. Eggleston, in Century Mag., XXX. 393/1. Certainly *stocking-throwing and other such customs long lingered among the backwoodsmen of the colonies, as did many other ancient wedding usages.
1664. Charter Framework-Knitters Co., § 26. And these [appointed members] to prove, try, and see whether all *stocking-tops,… or any other thing … be workmanlike wrought.
1723. Lond. Gaz., No. 6194/9. Henry Hunt,… *Stocking-Trimmer.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Stocking-trimmer, a decorator or ornamenter of stockings; one who removes loose threads or imperfections.
1697. De Foe, Ess. Projects, 24. For which I refer to the Engine it self, to be seen in every *Stocking-Weaver’s Garret.
1866. Carlyle, Remin., I. 85. Joe Blacklock [was] a rickety stocking-weaver.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 343. So high is the character of their *stocking-yarns and threads.
1882. Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 463. Stocking Yarn … is Cotton thread, and is spun softer and looser than either Mule or Water Twist. Two threads are afterwards doubled together, and then slightly twisted round each other.
