stocking

noun

stock·​ing ˈstä-kiŋ 

1

a

: a usually knit close-fitting covering for the foot and leg

b

: sock

2

: something resembling a stocking

especially : a ring of distinctive color on the lower part of the leg of an animal

3

: a decorative pouch shaped like a large sock for holding small gifts at Christmas

hung their (Christmas) stockings on the mantle

stockinged

ˈstä-kiŋd 

adjective

see also:

in one's stocking feet

Synonyms of stocking

• sock

Examples of stocking in a Sentence

a pair of wool stockings

thick wool stockings designed to be worn with hiking boots

Recent Examples on the Web

Irwin also noted that one reviewer compared the Airflow’s rounded front end to a human face covered with a stocking. —Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026

Blindfolded again with my bloody stockings, and with my wrists and ankles bound, I was dragged out and deposited in the trunk of a vehicle. —Shelly Kittleson, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026

Simply fill a clean stocking with plain oats and toss it into your warm bath. —Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026

The New York Times reported that among those gifts were 80 pairs of stockings, then in short supply. —Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

obsolete stock to cover with a stocking

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing stocking

• body stocking
• Christmas stocking
• in one's stocking feet
• silk-stocking
• stocking cap
• stocking filler
• stocking stuffer

Rhymes for stocking

• blocking
• caulking
• chalking
• clocking
• cocking
• docking
• flocking
• gawking
• knocking
• locking
• mocking
• rocking

Kids Definition

stocking

noun

stock·​ing ˈstäk-iŋ 

1

: a close-fitting usually knit covering for the foot and leg

2

: sock entry 1

Medical Definition

stocking

noun

stock·​ing ˈstäk-iŋ 

: a usually knit close-fitting covering for the foot and leg see elastic stocking