sock hat

plural sock hats

1. USbusinessA knitted hat, usually conical but of varying shape, often woollen, and sometimes topped by a pom-pom or tassel.

   Her hair hangs stringy beneath a wool sock hat, her figure dumpy in workshirt and floor-length skirt.

   1994, Jack Cady, chapter 17, in Street, page 139

   1 more example

   A red sock hat provided [the pantomime artist with] the luxurious plume of the arrogant, strutty cock, his neck bobbing, as he circulated around the farm yard.

   1969 December 5, Joel Landon, “Kanar Prances Through Civilization”, in The Daily Californian

   Synonyms: stocking cap, toque, tuque, woolly hat

2. USbusinessA warm cap shielding the neck and head, often made out of wool and used in skiing, or stereotypically while committing a robbery.

   Shuki, 31, is the only one in the picture wearing the typical woolen sock hat, which is otherwise known as a ski mask—it does get cold, and for some actions they like to cover their faces.

   2003, Oz Shelach, Picnic Grounds, page 112

   Synonyms: ski mask, balaclava