I. ˈpəkə(r) verb
( puckered ; puckered ; puckering -k(ə)riŋ ; puckers )
Etymology: probably alteration of poke (I) + -er (freq. suffix)
intransitive verb
1. : to become wrinkled or constricted : present an uneven appearance : contract , furrow , wrinkle
lips puckered into a low whistle — Don Davis
in humid weather … the finished print may have a tendency to pucker — C.E.Dunn
2. : to assume an expression of earnest concentration : frown
an envious body will pucker as if he had never heard the name — G.D.Brown
transitive verb
1. : to contract into folds or corrugations : draw together so as to wrinkle or crimp : constrict , furrow
spasms gnarl the hands … and pucker the face — A.C.Fisher
the effort of thought puckered his brow
— often used with up
puckered up my lips for … a good-bye kiss — Glenway Wescott
especially : to produce (an uneven surface consisting of a series of small bulges and depressions) in a fabric by alternating groups of slack and tight yarns or by finishing with a shrinking treatment that affects only one set of yarns
ed nylon sport shirts need no ironing — advt
2. : to produce fullness in (a sewn article) by drawing stitches tight or by gathering a longer edge to a shorter one
pucker a blouse for smocking
moccasins … puckered to a single seam in front — Museum of the American Indian (N.Y.)
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : a crimp in a normally even surface : wrinkle , furrow
screwed her pretty mouth into a pucker of exasperation — Walter O'Meara
the folds and puckers of the unexpanded wings of certain moths — E.B.Ford
specifically : a slight unevenness in a fabric
puckers are usually due to the presence of nonuniformly drawn yarns — C.M.Whittaker & C.C.Wilcock
b. : a fabric having a puckered finish
the newest all-nylon cloth to be added is a pucker in a plaid design — Women's Wear Daily
2. archaic : a state of agitation or distraction : tizzy