Sock
Sock turns up in 2 fields: fiber optics, geosynthetics. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Sock in fiber optics
A woven wire mesh pulling grip that slips over a cable end and tightens as it is pulled.
A tubular steel mesh grip, pushed over the cable jacket, that cinches down on the jacket under tension like a finger trap and attaches to the pull line through a swivel. On fiber, crews tape the end tightly and often tie the aramid yarn or strength member into the hardware too, because a sock alone only grips the jacket. Protective socks also cover pre-terminated connectors during a pull.
"Sock's on and taped, swivel's in, tell the guy on the winch to keep it under six hundred pounds."
Sock in geosynthetics
Knitted or nonwoven geotextile sleeve slipped over perforated drainpipe to keep soil out of the slots.
Pipe is often bought already socked, especially corrugated pipe for foundation and field drains. The sock is a cheap filter, but it can blind in fine silts, which is why many designers wrap the drain stone in fabric instead of relying on a socked pipe. Torn or bunched socks at couplings are a common weak point.
"Don't count on the sock in this silt, burrito the whole trench or it'll blind in a season."