smock

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a loose garment worn over other clothes to protect them, traditionally by artists, workers, or farm laborers

   The potter wore a canvas smock to protect her clothes from clay.

2. 2
   noun

   historical: a woman's loose undergarment or shift

   The costume included a linen smock beneath the outer dress.

3. 3
   verb

   to decorate or shape fabric by gathering it into small folds held with embroidery

   She learned to smock the bodice with rows of elastic stitches.

From Middle English smok and Old English smoc, a garment put on by slipping the head through an opening. It is related to Germanic verbs meaning 'creep' or 'slip into.' The embroidery sense developed from the gathered stitching used on traditional smocks.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images