type of loose, light indoor footwear, late 14c., agent noun from slip (v.), the notion being of a shoe that is easily "slipped" onto the foot. Compare slip (n.2). Old English had slypescoh "slipper," literally "slip-shoe." By 1580s as characteristic of something you beat a child with as a disciplinary punishment. Related: Slippered. Also in creature-names, such as slipper-limpet (1828), slipper-shell (1825).

1940, "wedge-heeled shoe," from wedge (n.) + -ie. The underwear prank so called by 1970s, from the effect it gives the victim.

"in which the customer serves himself instead of being waited on," by 1914, in reference to shoe stores, from self- + service (n.1).

"light blow or stroke," mid-14c., from tap (v.1). Tap dancer first recorded 1927, from tap (n.) in the sense of "metal plate over the heel of a shoe" (1680s).

c. 1400, repaire, "maintenance, restoration;" 1590s, "act of restoring, restoration to a sound or good state after decay," from repair (v.1). Meaning "state or condition in respect to reparation" is from c. 1600, especially "good or sound condition kept up by repairing as needed." Repair-shop attested by 1877.

"knitted or woven covering for the foot, short stocking," Middle English sok, from Old English socc "slipper, light shoe," from Latin soccus "slipper, light low-heeled shoe," probably a variant of Greek sykkhos, word for a kind of shoe, perhaps from Phrygian or another Asiatic language. Beekes pointes to a source that "supposes a loan from the Caucasus, which may also be found in Av[estan] haxa- [n.] 'sole of the foot' ...." The Latin word was borrowed generally in West Germanic (Middle Dutch socke, Dutch sok, Old High German soc, German Socke).

Also in reference to the kind of light shoe worn by ancient actors in comedy, hence, in phrases, sock as "comedy" as distinct from "tragedy" (represented by buskin). To knock the socks off (someone) "beat thoroughly" is recorded from 1845, American English colloquial. Colloquial put a sock in it "stop speaking" is by 1919. Teen slang sock hop is c. 1950, from dancing shoeless.

"unshod, barefoot," 1650s, from Latin discalceatus, from dis- (see dis-) + calceatus, past participle of calceare "to furnish with shoes," from calceus "shoe," from calx "heel" (see calcaneus). Related: Discalceation.

late 14c., patin, "a wooden shoe or clog," later especially a thick-soled shoe worn by women to make them seem taller, from Old French patin "clog, type of shoe" (13c.), probably from pate "paw, foot," from Gallo-Roman *pauta, ultimately perhaps imitative of the sound made by a paw. The immediate source has been sought in Celtic [Barnhart] and Germanic [OED], but evidence is wanting. Likely cognates include Provençal pauta, Catalan pote, Middle Dutch and Dutch poot, German Pfote "paw." Also "an ice-skate" (1610s).

From the beginning of the eighteenth century, a peculiar device was used for the same purpose, formed of an iron ring with two or more uprights, supporting a wooden sole which was thus lifted several inches above the ground. This ringed patten has been used in England until a recent time, but has been little known in the United States. [Century Dictionary, 1895]

"plainclothes detective," 1906, from the rubber-soled shoes they wore (allowing stealthy movement), which were so called from 1863 (gums "rubber shoes" is attested by 1859); from gum (n.1) + shoe (n.).

kind of casual shoe, 1937, from topside in nautical sense of "upper deck of a ship," where the rubber soles would provide good grip; from top (n.1) + side (n.).