# sockdolager

> English word · Noun · IPA [ˌsɑkˈdɑːɫ.ə.d͡ʒɚ]

## Definitions
1. A hard hit, a knockout or finishing blow, or conclusive argument.
2. Something large or otherwise exceptional; a whopper.
3. A combination of two hooks which close upon each other, by means of a spring, as soon as the fish bites.

## Etymology
Unknown, 1827 US, presumably fanciful variant of sock (“to hit”); compare contemporary fanciful American coinages.
Various speculative etymologies have been suggested, such as corruption of doxology, due to this occurring at the end of church worship, hence “finality”.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sockdolager