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Synonyms

tucker

1 American  
[tuhk-er] / ˈtʌk ər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that tucks.

  2. a piece of linen, muslin, or the like, worn by women about the neck and shoulders.

  3. chemisette.

  4. a sewing machine attachment for making tucks.

  5. Australian. food.

tucker 2 American  
[tuhk-er] / ˈtʌk ər /

verb (used with object)

Informal.

  1. to weary; tire; exhaust (often followed byout ).

    The game tuckered him out.
Tucker 3 American  
[tuhk-er] / ˈtʌk ər /

noun

  1. Richard, 1915–75, U.S. operatic tenor.

  2. Sophie Sophie Abruza, 1884–1966, U.S. singer and entertainer, born in Russia.

tucker 1 British  
/ ˈtʌkə /

noun

  1. a person or thing that tucks

  2. a detachable yoke of lace, linen, etc, often white, worn over the breast, as of a low-cut dress

  3. an attachment on a sewing machine used for making tucks at regular intervals

  4. old-fashioned an informal word for food

"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
tucker 2 British  
/ ˈtʌkə /

verb

  1. informal to weary or tire completely

"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
tucker Idioms  

  1. see best bib and tucker.

Etymology

Origin of tucker1

First recorded in 1225–75, tucker is from the Middle English word tokere. See tuck 1, -er 1

Origin of tucker2

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; tuck 1 + -er 6

Explanation

As a noun, a tucker is either someone who sews tiny pleats in fabric or an old-fashioned fabric insert in the neck of a dress. As an informal verb, tucker means "exhaust or tire." If you're a tucker, you're a sewer or a stitcher. And if you wear an antique dress, it may have a tucker made of lace or linen that's sewn into its neckline. These days, you're more likely to hear tucker used as a verb. A long day at the zoo may tucker out your four-year-old cousin. Experts believe that this New England slang might stem from tucker, an informal verb used to mean "exhaust a dog."

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Vocabulary lists containing tucker

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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.

Pearce also starts the party late, so the dance party before the rave can tucker kids out before he takes the stage.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025

"Goannas are significant cultural totems for Traditional Owners across northern Australia, and an important bush tucker food," Dr Ward-Fear says.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2024

In the jungle, Nella has screamed her way through creepy-crawly and snake-infested bush tucker trials.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2023

The duchess joked that she thought she was "in trouble" and that they were going to make her do one of their "tucker trials."

From Fox News • Oct. 19, 2021

“Gods, I’m exhausted. There’s nothing like the certain knowledge of your own death to tucker you out.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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.