Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: CLEANING

Language: Old English
Origin: socian

soak

1 verb
     
soak1 S3
1 [intransitive and transitive]DFCDHC if you soak something, or if you let it soak, you keep it covered with a liquid for a period of time, especially in order to make it softer or easier to clean:
Soak the clothes in cold water.
Let the pans soak; I'll wash them later.
soak something off/out (=remove it by soaking)
Put the bottle in soapy water to soak the label off.
2 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to make something completely wet:
Police aimed water hoses at the marchers, soaking them.
soak through/into etc
The blood soaked through the bandage.
soak something in/with something
a rag soaked with oil
3 [intransitive]DCB to spend a long time taking a bath:
Soak in a warm bath to relax.
4 [transitive] informalPET to make someone pay too much money in prices or taxes:
taxes that soak the middle classes

soak something ↔ up

phrasal verb
1 if something soaks up a liquid, it takes the liquid into itself:
He used a towel to soak up the blood.
2

soak up the sun/rays/sunshine etc

DN to sit outside for a long time enjoying the sun
3 to enjoy a place by watching it or becoming involved in it:
Go to a sidewalk cafe, order coffee, and soak up the atmosphere.
4 to learn something quickly and easily:
Children soak up language incredibly quickly.
Definition of soak from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic CLEANING
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