suction
Americannoun
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the act, process, or condition of sucking.
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the force that, by a pressure differential, attracts a substance or object to the region of lower pressure.
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the act or process of producing such a force.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the act or process of sucking
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the force or condition produced by a pressure difference, as the force holding a suction cap onto a surface
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the act or process of producing such a force or condition
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A force acting on a fluid caused by difference in pressure between two regions, tending to make the fluid flow from the region of higher pressure to the region of lower pressure.
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The act of reducing pressure to create such a force, as by the use of a pump or fan.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of suction
1605–15; < Late Latin sūctiōn- (stem of sūctiō ) a sucking, equivalent to Latin sūct ( us ) (past participle of sūgere to suck ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Suction is a force created when there's a difference in air pressure. When you use a straw to drink a milkshake, suction forces the delicious ice cream to move up into your mouth. Suction comes from the same Latin root as suck. Suction happens when a vacuum cleaner sucks up dirt or when someone sucks on a straw. At the dentist, suction is used to get rid of all the extra saliva while they work on your teeth. (Yuck.) Suction can also make things stick to hard surfaces. Some frogs can stick to windows with their little suction cup toes.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"One tactic is using suction traps that rely on steady cues, such as continuous CO2 release or constant light sources, to attract mosquitoes," Zuo said.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 22, 2026
Strong "gorilla" pincers are used for picking up heavier boxes or, for more delicate items, a suction device can be used.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026
They have a suction top and they’re really easy to open and close and stack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Its two submersibles have everything from hydraulic collection arms and suction tubes to high-definition cameras, allowing them to uncover the improbable life found in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
I suction the tracking corpomonitor to the back of my neck, the comm unit behind my ear, and then plug both into my suit.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
