soak

Main Entry:: ¹soak
Pronunciation:: \ˈsōk\
Function:: verb
Etymology:: Middle English soken, from Old English socian; akin to Old English sūcan to suck
Date:: before 12th century

intransitive verb1: to lie immersed in liquid (as water) : become saturated by or as if by immersion2 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 into3: to drink alcoholic beverages intemperatelytransitive verb1: to permeate so as to wet, soften, or fill thoroughly2: to place in a surrounding element (as liquid) to wet or permeate thoroughly3: 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 beverages5: to cause to pay an exorbitant amount

— soak·er 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>.

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