suck
[suhk]
- to draw into the mouth by producing a partial vacuum by action of the lips and tongue: to suck lemonade through a straw.
- to draw (water, moisture, air, etc.) by or as if by suction: Plants suck moisture from the earth. The pump sucked water from the basement.
- to apply the lips or mouth to and draw upon by producing a partial vacuum, especially for extracting fluid contents: to suck an orange.
- to put into the mouth and draw upon: to suck one's thumb.
- to take into the mouth and dissolve by the action of the tongue, saliva, etc.: to suck a piece of candy.
- to render or bring to a specified condition by or as if by sucking.
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- to draw something in by producing a partial vacuum in the mouth, especially to draw milk from the breast.
- to draw or be drawn by or as if by suction.
- (of a pump) to draw air instead of water, as when the water is low or a valve is defective.
- Slang. to behave in a fawning manner (usually followed by around).
- Slang. to be repellent or unpleasant: Poverty sucks.
- Slang. to be inferior, as in quality or execution; be poor: Everyone says the show sucks. She sucks at tennis.
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- an act or instance of sucking.
- a sucking force.
- the sound produced by sucking.
- that which is sucked; nourishment drawn from the breast.
- a small drink; sip.
- a whirlpool.
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- suck in, Slang. to deceive; cheat; defraud: The confidence man sucked us all in.
- suck off, Slang: Vulgar. to fellate.
- suck up, Slang. to be obsequious; toady: The workers are all sucking up to him because he's the one who decides who'll get the bonuses.
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- suck face, to engage in soul-kissing.
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Origin of suck
before 900; (v.) Middle English souken, Old English sūcan, cognate with Latin sūgere; (noun) Middle English souke act of suckling, derivative of the noun; akin to soak
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
suck
- to draw (a liquid or other substance) into the mouth by creating a partial vacuum in the mouth
- to draw in (fluid, etc) by or as if by a similar actionplants suck moisture from the soil
- to drink milk from (a mother's breast); suckle
- (tr) to extract fluid content from (a solid food)to suck a lemon
- (tr) to take into the mouth and moisten, dissolve, or roll around with the tongueto suck one's thumb
- (tr; often foll by down, in, etc) to draw by using irresistible forcethe whirlpool sucked him down
- (intr) (of a pump) to draw in air because of a low supply level or leaking valves, pipes, etc
- (tr) to assimilate or acquire (knowledge, comfort, etc)
- (intr) slang to be contemptible or disgusting
- sucking diesel informal doing very well; successful
- suck it and see informal to try something to find out what it is, what it is like, or how it works
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- the act or an instance of sucking
- something that is sucked, esp milk from the mother's breast
- give suck to to give (a baby or young animal) milk from the breast or udder
- an attracting or sucking forcethe suck of the whirlpool was very strong
- a sound caused by sucking
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Word Origin
Old English sūcan; related to Old Norse súga, Middle Dutch sūgen, Latin sūgere to suck, exhaust; see soak
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for suck up
suck
v.
Old English sucan, from PIE root *sug-/*suk- of imitative origin (cf. Old Saxon, Old High German sugan, Old Norse suga, Middle Dutch sughen, Dutch zuigen, German saugen "to suck;" Latin sugere "to suck," succus "juice, sap;" Old Irish sugim, Welsh sugno "to suck"). Meaning "do fellatio" is first recorded 1928. Slang sense of "be contemptible" first attested 1971 (the underlying notion is of fellatio). Related: Sucked; sucking. Suck eggs is from 1906. Suck hind tit "be inferior" is American English slang first recorded 1940.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper