sucker
noun
- specialised attachment organ of an animal
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈsʌk.ə/ / /ˈsʌk.ɚ/
noun
Etymology: Possibly from German Sache (“thing”).
- Any thing or object.
“She's in love with a boy from the rodeo who pulls the rope on the chute when they let those suckers go.”
“1984, Runaway (film): scene in a helicopter, around 5 min 20 sec RAMSAY: Dave, can you land this sucker?”
- A person.
“You got to hit that sucker and hit him over and over. You got to hope he runs out ...”
“Maybe you hit that sucker and we'll get some DNA ...”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English souker, sokere, sukkere, soukere, equivalent to suck (verb) + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Suuger, West Frisian sûker (“sucker”), Dutch zuiger (“sucker”), German Sauger (“dummy; vacuum”).
- To strip the suckers or shoots from; to deprive of suckers.
“to sucker maize”
“It is as important to sucker tobacco carefully and as often as the situation demands it as it is to search for and remove the green-horn worm.”
- To produce suckers; to throw up additional stems or shoots.
“I have let my vines sucker more than I ought this year, perhaps, but I want to start them out in better shape by encouraging a large growth of wood.”
“We prefer to plant in rows instead of hills because the plants sucker so badly here, and because, with our scanty rainfall, it is better to have the plants isolated than bunched.”
- To move or attach oneself by means of suckers.
“I am now the octopus, mucus, held together by soft moist membrane, suckering everywhere.”
“He paused at the octopus tank. Clyde, our resident giant Pacific octopus, was suckering his way across the front panel.”
- To fool someone; to take advantage of someone.
“The salesman suckered him into signing an expensive maintenance contract.”
“I asked him to tell me specifically just what his gripe might be, but he told me never mind what the details are; that he had put his faith in you on my recommendation but that you had suckered him and he refused to tell me anything about how you suckered him.”
- To lure someone.
“As the escort carriers chug away south, their single 5-inch rear guns are now cleared to open fire as the range closes. Disappointed gunners on other weapons are informed, "Just wait a little longer, boys; we're suckering them into 40-mm range."”