silk stocking
- noun
- /sɪlk ˈstɑkɪŋ/
- I bought her a white dress and white silk stockings.
- a pair of silk stockings
- wearing silk stockings
- silk stockings and garter
Really great actors, great people on silk stockings.
- Really great actors, great people on silk stockings.
Examples
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Mama got a pair of silk stockings and a new comb.
Fiction book (2002) -
They passed endless stalls of merchants selling silk stockings, flowers, fresh fruit, and hot noodles in soup.
Fiction book (2000) -
"What I want is a pair of silk stockings.
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I never thought I'd be wearing real silk stockings.
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I haven't had silk stockings before.
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Whippy Bird and I could see she was wearing silk stockings with no runs.
Fiction book (1990) -
You're never lonely with a pair of silk stockings.
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"When I get rich, I'm going to have new silk stockings every day of the year and never wear a pair with runs," May Anna told us.
Fiction book (1990) -
How would you like to give Frau Schulz silk stockings for Christmas?
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She wore a beautiful dress paired with elegant silk stockings for the evening party.
Synonyms
A thin garment like a long sock that covers the foot and leg
A thin close-fitting covering for the foot and leg made of nylon and worn by women
Thin stockings that women wear on their legs
A thin, see-through stocking for women made from rayon fiber
How Sheer
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a stocking made from silk or similar smooth fabric' is directly and compositionally derived from 'silk' (the material) + 'stocking' (the garment), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the phrase. This material+object noun compound is a common, cross-linguistic pattern (e.g., 'silk shirt', 'wooden table'), making the construction transparent.
Etymology
Silk stocking comes from a stocking made of silk, a smooth, expensive cloth. Because silk used to be costly, wearing silk stockings showed 'wealth' and 'style', so today the phrase still means a fine, thin women's stocking.