— soaker , n. — soakingly , adv.
/sohk/ , v.i.
1. to lie in and become saturated or permeated with water or some other liquid.
2. to pass, as a liquid, through pores, holes, or the like: The rain soaked through the tear in the umbrella.
3. to be thoroughly wet.
4. to penetrate or become known to the mind or feelings (fol. by in ): The lesson didn't soak in.
5. Informal. to drink immoderately, esp. alcoholic beverages: They were soaking at the bar.
v.t.
6. to place or keep in liquid in order to saturate thoroughly; steep.
7. to wet thoroughly; saturate or drench.
8. to permeate thoroughly, as liquid or moisture does.
9. Metall. to heat (a piece) for reworking.
10. Informal. to intoxicate (oneself) by drinking an excess of liquor.
11. Slang. to beat hard; punish severely: I was soaked for that mistake.
12. to extract or remove by or as by soaking (often fol. by out ): to soak a stain out of a napkin.
13. Slang. to overcharge: He was soaked by the waiter.
14. soak up ,
a. to absorb or take in or up by absorption: Blotting paper soaks up ink.
b. to absorb with one's mind or senses; take in: to soak up information.
c. Slang. to drink to excess: He can really soak up the booze.
n.
15. the act or state of soaking or the state of being soaked.
16. the liquid in which anything is soaked.
17. Slang. a heavy drinker.
18. Australian. any small area of land, as near a spring or at the foot of a hill, that becomes swamplike or holds water after a period of heavy rain.
[ bef. 1000; ME soken, OE socian; akin to SUCK ]
Syn. 2, 4. seep. 7. See wet. 8. infuse, penetrate.
Ant. 7. dry.