- soak
-
I. verb
Etymology: Middle English soken, from Old English socian; akin to Old English sūcan to suck
Date: before 12th century
intransitive verb
1. to lie immersed in liquid (as water) ; become saturated by or as if by immersion
2.
a. to enter or pass through something by or as if by pores or interstices ; permeate
b. to penetrate or affect the mind or feelings — usually used with in or into
3. to drink alcoholic beverages intemperately
transitive verb
1. to permeate so as to wet, soften, or fill thoroughly
2. to place in a surrounding element (as liquid) to wet or permeate thoroughly
3. to extract by or as if by steeping <soak the dirt out> 4. a. to draw or take in by or as if by suction or absorption <soaked up the sunshine> b. to intoxicate (oneself) by drinking alcoholic beverages 5. to cause to pay an exorbitant amount • soaker noun Synonyms: soak, saturate, drench, steep, impregnate mean to permeate or be permeated with a liquid. soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing <soak the garment in soapy water>. saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held <a saturated sponge>. drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured <clothes drenched by a cloudburst>. steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (as a color) to the thing immersed <steep the tea for five minutes>. impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another <a cake strongly impregnated with brandy>. II. noun Date: 15th century 1. a. the act or process of soaking ; the state of being soaked b. that (as liquid) in which something is soaked 2. drunkard 3. slang pawn II,2
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.