tuck
verb (used with object)
to put into a small, close, or concealing place.
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tuck
1 American
[tuhk]
/ tʌk /
verb (used with object)
-
tucks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tucked,
past participle, past
-
tucking
present participle
-
to put into a small, close, or concealing place.
Tuck the money into your wallet.
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to thrust in the loose end or edge of (a garment, covering, etc.) so as to hold closely in place (usually followed by in, up, under, etc.).
Tuck in your blouse.
Tuck the edge of the sheet under the mattress.
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to cover snugly in or as if in this manner.
She tucked the children into bed.
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to pull up into a fold or folds; draw up into a folded arrangement (usually followed by in, up, etc.).
to tuck up one's skirts;
to tuck one's knees under one's chin.
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Needlework. to sew tucks in.
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to pass (a strand) above or below another one.
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Informal. to eat or drink (usually followed by in, away, etc.).
He tucked away a big meal.
verb (used without object)
-
tucks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tucked,
past participle, past
-
tucking
present participle
-
Needlework. to make tucks.
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to fit securely or snugly.
a bed that tucks into the corner.
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to secure one's penis between one's legs so that the crotch is flat, often done by gender-diverse people as part of their gender expression.
When I'm performing, I usually tuck, because it makes me feel more confident.
noun
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something tucked or folded in.
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Sewing. a fold, or one of a series of folds, made by doubling cloth upon itself and stitching parallel with the edge of the fold, used for decoration or for shortening or fitting a garment.
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Diving, Gymnastics. a body position in which the head is lowered and the thighs held against the chest with the knees bent and the arms locked around the shins.
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Skiing. a crouch in which the ski poles are held close to the chest, extending back under the arms and parallel to the ground, as to maximize speed downhill.
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Informal. a plastic surgery operation.
a tummy tuck.
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Nautical. the part of a vessel where the after ends of the outside planking or plating unite at the sternpost.
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(in tying knots) the operation of passing one strand above or below another.
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British Slang. food.
verb phrase
tuck
2
American
[tuhk]
/ tʌk /
noun
Informal.
tuck
3
American
[tuhk]
/ tʌk /
noun
Archaic.
tuck
4
American
[tuhk]
/ tʌk /
noun
Chiefly Scot.
tuck
1
British
/ tʌk /
verb
-
(tr) to push or fold into a small confined space or concealed place or between two surfaces
to tuck a letter into an envelope
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(tr) to thrust the loose ends or sides of (something) into a confining space, so as to make neat and secure
to tuck the sheets under the mattress
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to make a tuck or tucks in (a garment)
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(usually tr) to draw together, contract, or pucker
noun
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a tucked object or part
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a pleat or fold in a part of a garment, usually stitched down so as to make it a better fit or as decoration
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the part of a vessel where the after ends of the planking or plating meet at the sternpost
-
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an informal or schoolchild's word for food, esp cakes and sweets
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( as modifier )
a tuck box
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-
a position of the body in certain dives in which the legs are bent with the knees drawn up against the chest and tightly clasped
tuck
2
British
/ tʌk /
noun
verb
-
(tr) to touch or strike
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(intr) to throb or bump
Tuck
3
British
/ tʌk /
noun
tuck
4
British
/ tʌk /
noun
tuck
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tucksimple
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tuckssimple
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have tuckedperfect
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has tuckedperfect
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am tuckingprogressive
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are tuckingprogressive
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is tuckingprogressive
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have been tuckingperfect progressive
-
has been tuckingperfect progressive
Past
-
tuckedsimple
-
had tuckedperfect
-
was tuckingprogressive
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were tuckingprogressive
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had been tuckingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tuck1
First recorded before 900; Middle English t(o)uken “to stretch (cloth), torment,” Old English tūcian “to torment”; akin to Middle Low German tucken “to tug,” German zucken “to jerk”; see tow 1
Origin of tuck2
By shortening and respelling
Origin of tuck3
First recorded in 1500–10; earlier tocke, apparently phonetic variant of obsolete stock “sword,” from Italian stocco, from German Stock “stick”; cognate with stock
Origin of tuck4
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tukken “to beat, sound (said of a drum),” from Middle French (north) toker “to strike, touch”; see touch
Explanation
To tuck is to fold, gather, or insert, like the way you tuck your sheets under your mattress when you make the bed in the morning or the way you tuck your lucky stuffed unicorn into your backpack on the day of a big test. You can tuck your shirt into your waistband, and tuck your jeans into your cowboy boots. You can also tuck a child into bed or tuck your book under your arm to carry it. The verb tuck can also be used informally to mean "eat with gusto," like when you tuck into a giant bowl of spaghetti.
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.
See Examples For:
Something to celebrate, fun trivia to tuck away for later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
If something catches my eye, I either build a meal around it that week or tuck it into the freezer like a tiny gift to my future self.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
The family had to sell their caravan, and she helped out by giving dance classes and working in the tuck shop of the youth club where he mother worked.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
One night, my then 9-year-old son came in to tuck me in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
He hadn’t been asking me to tuck him under the blanket.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Prof Tuck Seng Wong is the director of the UK-Southeast Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub but was not involved in the study.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Mack learned the importance of passing down knowledge as a youngster in Oakland under the tutelage of seasoned veterans Charles Woodson and Justin Tuck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
The surge gases turned into sulfuric acid, Mr. Tuck writes, “when entering into contact with the water that is in a human body.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Mr. Tuck estimates the population of Pompeii before the eruption at 30,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
And he was saying, “Good morning, Mrs. Tuck. It is Mrs. Tuck, isn’t it. May I come in?”
From "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbit
He tucks in his thrifted button-up shirt, adjusts his belt buckle and looks in the mirror.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025
Tempus even tucks in recipe cards, an apron, sea salt and scallop shells to make indulging as easy as can be.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025
On the evenings he tucks his kids into bed, his daughter refuses to let him go.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2025
Duplantis swings his bottom leg through and tucks into a small ball, staying behind the pole.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025
She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
For Wok Wok, a Malaysian restaurant tucked below a pharmacy in the heart of Chinatown, the exposure has been a game changer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
What was once tucked into corners of the internet is now visible just beneath the sheen of any social media algorithm.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
And there, tucked away in a corner and covered by a baby changing mat, was a blue barrel.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
After the dozens of well-heeled guests in attendance tucked into New York strip steaks and carrot cake, Kielpinski called on them to open their wallets and donate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
I’m sitting on my trembling hands across from her, in a booth tucked away from the crazy of the main dining room, my red flags rigid, ready.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
A family once tried to sneak a pet parrot into the buffet, tucking it into a wagon next to their small child.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Add the jammy egg pieces last, tucking them in with care so their custardy centers remain visible.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2026
"Nobody wants fighting, nobody wants conflict," he told AFP on the campaign trail, tucking into a bowl of noodle soup alongside party members in the capital's Chinatown neighbourhood.
From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026
Imagine ditching the turkey on Christmas Day and popping out for an Indian meal or tucking into traditional French cuisine instead.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
All she would remember was Mia holding her tight, so tight that the world stopped spinning at last, Mia tucking her into a low soft bed that, it turned out later, was Mia’s own.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
