tuck

[ tuhk ]

/ tʌk /

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verb (used with object)

to put into a small, close, or concealing place: Tuck the money into your wallet.

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.

to cover snugly in or as if in this manner: She tucked the children into bed.

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.

Needlework. to sew tucks in.

to pass (a strand) above or below another one.

Informal. to eat or drink (usually followed by in, away, etc.): He tucked away a big meal.

verb (used without object)

to draw together; contract; pucker.

Needlework. to make tucks.

to fit securely or snugly: a bed that tucks into the corner.

noun

something tucked or folded in.

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.

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.Compare layout (def. 10), pike⁷.

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.

Informal. a plastic surgery operation: a tummy tuck.

Nautical. the part of a vessel where the after ends of the outside planking or plating unite at the sternpost.

(in tying knots) the operation of passing one strand above or below another.

British Slang. food.

Verb Phrases

tuck into, to eat with gusto: We tucked into a roast beef dinner.

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Origin of tuck

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 tow¹

OTHER WORDS FROM tuck

un·tucked, adjective

Words nearby tuck

tubus, TUC, Tucana, Tuchman, tuchun, tuck, tuckahoe, tuck away, tuckaway table, tucker, tucker-bag

Definition for tuck (2 of 4)

tuck²

[ tuhk ]

/ tʌk /

noun Informal.

tuxedo.

Origin of tuck

By shortening and respelling

Definition for tuck (3 of 4)

tuck³

[ tuhk ]

/ tʌk /

noun Archaic.

a rapier, estoc, or other thrusting sword.

Origin of tuck

First recorded in 1500–10; earlier tocke, apparently phonetic variant of obsolete stock “sword,” from Italian stocco, from German Stock “stick”; cognate with stock

Definition for tuck (4 of 4)

tuck⁴

[ tuhk ]

/ tʌk /

noun Chiefly Scot.

a drumbeat or the sound of one beat on a drum.

Origin of tuck

⁴

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use tuck in a sentence

First flip Second flip Biles said she chose to flip in a piked position, rather than a tuck, because it is easier for her to grab her legs.
Yurchenko and beyond: The origins of Simone Biles’s revolutionary vault|Emily Giambalvo|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
Even in the 1980s, Yurchenko attempted double tucks when she vaulted over stacked mats into the pit.
Yurchenko and beyond: The origins of Simone Biles’s revolutionary vault|Emily Giambalvo|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
Pre-pandemic, Cassileth says business was good as patients had more disposable income, and were excited to do popular procedures like liposuction, breast implants, and tummy tucks.
The Zoom effect: Why plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures might be more popular because of the pandemic|Rachel King|October 3, 2020|Fortune
They saw the light years ago and now many do a healthy nip-and-tuck business, especially on noses.
The New World of Anti-Aging Dentistry|Kent Sepkowitz|June 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In 1966 a man called Dick Tuck stood as a Democrat in the California Senate elections.
Will Jargon Be the Death of the English Language?|The Telegraph|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But did she really deserve all the nip-and-tuck hate-tweeting?
Should We Give Kim Novak a Break on the Oscar Plastic Surgery Hate-Tweeting?|Lizzie Crocker|March 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She will then, at a time of her choosing, tuck it, say, into my carry-on bag just before I leave on a research trip.
How I Write: Erik Larson Revisits ‘Isaac’s Storm’|Noah Charney|October 31, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Romney is like the sheriff of Nottingham: all castle, no conviction; which makes Newt Gingrich the earthy Friar Tuck.
Romney and Gingrich Set the GOP on a Path Toward Self-Destruction|John Batchelor|January 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
And, old ink pot, tuck a horse blanket under my chin, and rub me down with brickbats while I feed!
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
I pick up the newspaper that had fallen under the seat, spread it over his legs, and tuck the ends underneath.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
It is to guard against this that so many of his compatriots tuck their napkins in at their necks.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, November 4, 1914|Various
I jist seed squeamishin' parties lookin' fer sumpin' ter eat, an' I'se hyard dat dey tuck ever'thing dey comes 'crost.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States|Various
Ive seen a lot of booze-fighters, and helped tuck some of them underground, but I never saw any rum hound just like this guy.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson

British Dictionary definitions for tuck (1 of 4)

tuck¹

/ (tʌk) /

verb

(tr) to push or fold into a small confined space or concealed place or between two surfacesto tuck a letter into an envelope

(tr) to thrust the loose ends or sides of (something) into a confining space, so as to make neat and secureto tuck the sheets under the mattress

to make a tuck or tucks in (a garment)

(usually tr) to draw together, contract, or pucker

noun

a tucked object or part

a pleat or fold in a part of a garment, usually stitched down so as to make it a better fit or as decoration

the part of a vessel where the after ends of the planking or plating meet at the sternpost

British

an informal or schoolchild's word for food, esp cakes and sweets
(as modifier)a tuck box

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

Word Origin for tuck

C14: from Old English tūcian to torment; related to Middle Dutch tucken to tug, Old High German zucchen to twitch

British Dictionary definitions for tuck (2 of 4)

tuck²

/ (tʌk) /

noun

archaic a rapier

Word Origin for tuck

C16: from French estoc sword, from Old French: tree trunk, sword, of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for tuck (3 of 4)

tuck³

/ (tʌk) dialect /

noun

a touch, blow, or stroke

verb

(tr) to touch or strike

(intr) to throb or bump

Word Origin for tuck

C16: from Middle English tukken to beat a drum, from Old Northern French toquer to touch; compare tucket

British Dictionary definitions for tuck (4 of 4)

Tuck

/ (tʌk) /

noun

See Friar Tuck

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

Idioms and Phrases with tuck

tuck

In addition to the idioms beginning with tuck

tuck away
tuck in
tuck into

also see:

nip and tuck

tuck

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

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Origin of tuck

OTHER WORDS FROM tuck

Words nearby tuck

Definition for tuck (2 of 4)

noun Informal.

Origin of tuck

Definition for tuck (3 of 4)

noun Archaic.

Origin of tuck

Definition for tuck (4 of 4)

noun Chiefly Scot.

Origin of tuck

Words related to tuck

How to use tuck in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tuck (1 of 4)

verb

noun

Word Origin for tuck

British Dictionary definitions for tuck (2 of 4)

noun

Word Origin for tuck

British Dictionary definitions for tuck (3 of 4)

noun

verb

Word Origin for tuck

British Dictionary definitions for tuck (4 of 4)

noun

Idioms and Phrases with tuck