Socking

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈsɔ.kɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of hitting someone with great force ; the action of giving or supplying something in a large amount
2. Striking with a powerful punch or hit ; offering or presenting something plentifully or liberally
3. Applying a heavy or vigorous strike to a person or object ; generously supplying or donating an item or amount

Etymology: Two unrelated histories have ended up in one verb here. The "clothing" sense comes from the noun "sock", which traces back through Old English "socc" to Latin "soccus", a light slipper worn by Roman comic actors, and the Greek "sukkhos" before it, a word probably borrowed from a non-Greek language of Anatolia. Ancient Greek actors reportedly wore the "soccus" for comedy, in contrast to the high "cothurnus" boot of tragedy, so the shoe carried a theatrical connotation long before anyone pulled one over a foot. The sense of hitting hard is a different story. It is onomatopoeic, a word built to imitate the sound of a blow, and it has a close relative in Portuguese "soco", meaning a punch with the hand. The two strands share a spelling by coincidence rather than descent. The "give plentifully" sense grew out of the punch sense, as in striking someone with generosity or force, and it is this figurative extension that is the more recent development.

Synonyms: hitting, striking, punching, slapping, thumping

Antonyms: caressing, gentleness, comforting, soothing, calming