any of various weedy plants belonging to the genus Rumex, of the buckwheat family, as R. obtusifolius(bitter dock) or R. acetosa(sour dock), having long taproots.
2.
any of various other plants, mostly coarse weeds.
Origin: bef. 1000; ME dokke, OE docce; c. MD docke, MHG tocke
"ship's berth," 1486, from M.Du. or M.L.G. docke, perhaps ultimately (via L.L. *ductia "aqueduct") from L. ducere "to lead" (see duke); or possibly from a Scand. word for "low ground" (cf. Norw. dokk "hollow, low ground"). Original sense was "furrow a grounded vessel makes in a mud bank."
Main Entry: dock Function: noun Etymology: Dutch dialect dockedok pen, cage : the place in a criminal court where a prisoner stands or sits during trial —compare BAR, BENCH, JURY BOX, SIDEBAR, STAND
[dok] 
