pucker

[ puhk-er ]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to draw or gather into wrinkles or irregular folds, as material or a part of the face; constrict:

   Worry puckered his brow.

noun

1. a wrinkle; an irregular fold.
2. a puckered part, as of cloth tightly or crookedly sewn.
3. Archaic. a state of agitation or perturbation.

pucker

/ ˈpʌkə /

verb

1. to gather or contract (a soft surface such as the skin of the face) into wrinkles or folds, or (of such a surface) to be so gathered or contracted

noun

1. a wrinkle, crease, or irregular fold

Other Words From

• pucker·er noun
• un·puckered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pucker¹

1590–1600; apparently a frequentative form connected with poke ²; -er ⁶ and for the meaning purse

Word History and Origins

Origin of pucker¹

C16: perhaps related to poke ², from the creasing into baglike wrinkles

Example Sentences

His expression could best be described as puckered, as if he’d just drunk lemonade without enough sugar.

From Literature

When the conversation resumes, it’s Day’s puckered Butt-Head face that distracts from the session.

From Los Angeles Times

I grab a low-hanging branch, heavy with tiny apples that are so sour, they make your lips pucker if you dare eat them.

From Literature

He puckered his lips at her, which might have been his first ever attempt at a kiss.

From Literature

Mattel should have considered traditional pucker toe moccasins, instead of black shoes, and included symbols on the basket that Cherokees use to tell a story, she said.

From Washington Times