Library / English Dictionary

PUCKER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An irregular fold in an otherwise even surface (as in cloth)

Synonyms:

pucker; ruck

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("pucker" is a kind of...):

bend; crease; crimp; flexure; fold; plication (an angular or rounded shape made by folding)

Derivation:

pucker (become wrinkled or drawn together)

pucker (draw together into folds or puckers)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

To gather something into small wrinkles or folds

Example:

She puckered her lips

Synonyms:

cockle; crumple; knit; pucker; rumple

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pucker" is one way to...):

crease; crinkle; crisp; ruckle; scrunch; scrunch up; wrinkle (make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; 'crisp' is archaic)

Verb group:

draw (contract)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They pucker the sheets

Sense 2

Meaning:

Become wrinkled or drawn together

Example:

her lips puckered

Synonyms:

pucker; ruck; ruck up

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pucker" is one way to...):

crease; crinkle; crisp; ruckle; scrunch; scrunch up; wrinkle (make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; 'crisp' is archaic)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

The sheets didn't pucker

Derivation:

pucker (an irregular fold in an otherwise even surface (as in cloth))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Draw together into folds or puckers

Synonyms:

gather; pucker; tuck

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pucker" is one way to...):

run up; sew; sew together; stitch (fasten by sewing; do needlework)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

pucker (an irregular fold in an otherwise even surface (as in cloth))

Credits

 Context examples: 

Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) Facial and Oral Movements, Lips and perioral area, e.g., puckering, pouting, smacking.

(AIMS - Lips and Perioral Area, NCI Thesaurus)

He ceased, puffed at the pipe, found that it was out, and passed it over to Zilla, who took the sneer at the white man off her lips in order to pucker them about the pipe-stem.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

See the cunning brackets to hold candles, and the nice green silk, puckered up, with a gold rose in the middle, and the pretty rack and stool, all complete, added Meg, opening the instrument and displaying its beauties.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The puckered eyelids had begun to quiver, and now a pair of vacant grey eyes looked up at us.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I can see little,” she answered, straining her eyes and puckering her brow, as one who would fain clear her sight.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He peered at me with great curiosity in his puckered eyes.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Before she answered, that sweet, puckered look came into her forehead, which Arthur—I call him Arthur from her habit—says he loves; and, indeed, I don't wonder that he does.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“Ah,” he remarked, with a wry pucker of his mouth, “I see you still believe in such things as right and wrong.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

My thoughts were back in Sussex, and I was dreaming of the kindly, simple ways of the country, when there came a rat-tat at the knocker, the ring of a hearty voice, and there, in the doorway, was the smiling, weather-beaten face, with the puckered eyelids and the light blue eyes.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As she came walking in, looking very tired but as composed as ever, she observed that every vestige of the unfortunate fete had disappeared, except a suspicious pucker about the corners of Jo's mouth.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)