loose, shirtlike garment worn by women in the European Middle Ages under their gowns. The smock eventually developed into a loose, yoked, shirtlike (shirt) outer garment of coarse linen, used to protect the clothes; it was worn, for example, by peasants in Europe. Modern smocks are loose, lightweight, sleeved garments, often worn to protect the clothes while working. Artists traditionally wore smocks to protect their clothing from paint, marble dust, or any other detritus from the medium in which they worked. Smocks have also been popular garments for pregnant women.