̈ɪtʌk v. & n. --v. 1 tr. (often foll. by
in, up) a
draw, fold, or
turn the outer or
end parts of (cloth or
clothes etc.) close
together so as to be
held;
thrust in the
edge of (a thing) so as to
confine it (tucked
his shirt into his
trousers; tucked the sheet
under the mattress). b thrust in the edges of
bedclothes around (a person) (came to tuck me in). 2 tr. draw together into a
small space (tucked
her legs under her; the
bird tucked
its head under its wing). 3 tr.
stow (a thing)
away in a specified
place or
way (tucked it in a
corner; tucked it
out of sight). 4 tr. a
make a stitched fold in (material, a
garment, etc.). b
shorten,
tighten, or
ornament with stitched folds. 5 tr.
hit (a ball) to the desired place. --n. 1 a flattened usu. stitched fold in
material, a garment,
etc.,
often one of
several parallel folds
for shortening, tightening, or ornament. 2
Brit. colloq.
food,
esp. cakes
and sweets eaten by
children (also attrib.: tuck box). 3 Naut. the
part of a ship's hull
where the planks meet under the stern. 4 (in full tuck position) (in diving,
gymnastics, etc.) a
position with the knees bent upwards into the
chest and the hands clasped
round the shins. øtuck in colloq.
eat food
heartily. tuck-in n. Brit. colloq. a
large meal. tuck into (or away) colloq. eat (food) heartily (tucked into
their dinner;
could really tuck it away). tuck-net (or -seine) a small
net for
taking caught fish
from a larger net. tuck
shop Brit. a small shop, esp.
near or in a school, selling food to children. [ME tukke, tokke, f. MDu., MLG tucken, = OHG zucchen
pull, rel. to TUG]
