soakern.
/ˈsəʊkə/, U.S. /ˈsoʊkər/ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > using up, expending, or consuming > [noun] > using up completely > one who or that which
corrosive1533
swallower1548
soaker1577
exhauster1743
1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 40 It is a great soker of the grounde.
1610 W. Folkingham Feudigraphia i. x. 31 Wheate, Barley, Woade,..are great impairers and soakers of the soyle.
1630 P. Massinger Picture sig. G4 I found By a sad experience, there is no such soker As a yonger spongie wife.
a1634 J. Day Parl. Bees (Lansd. 725) f. 24 Hees a male Powle catt, a mere hart blood soaker.
2. An immoderate drinker; a drunkard. Cf. 3b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > thirst > excess in drinking > [noun] > one who drinks to excess
houndOE
drinkerc1200
keach-cup?c1225
gulchcupa1250
bollerc1320
taverner1340
ale stake?1515
wine-bibber1535
bibber1536
swill-bowl1542
malt-wormc1550
rinse-pitcher1552
bibblera1556
ale knight1556
tosspot1568
ring-pigger1570
troll-the-bowl1575
malt-bug1577
gossip-pint-pot1580
black pot1582
alehouse knight1583
worrier1584
suck-spigot1585
bezzle1592
bezzlera1593
cup-leech1593
soaker1593
carouser1596
barley-cap1598
swiller1598
rob-pot1599
Philistine1600
sponge1600
wine-knight1601
fill-knaga1605
reel-pot1604
faithful1609
fill-pot1609
bouser1611
spigot-sucker1611
suck-pint1611
whip-can1611
bib-all-night1612
afternoon man1615
potling1616
Bacchanalian1617
bombard1617
pot-shot1617
potisuge1620
trougha1625
tumbrila1625
borachioa1627
pot-leech1630
kill-pota1637
biberon1637
bang-pitcher1639
son of Bacchusc1640
shuffler1642
suck-bottlea1652
swill-pot1653
poter1657
potatora1660
old soaker1665
fuddle cap1666
old toast1668
bubber1669
toper1673
ale-toast1691
Bacchant1699
fuddler1699
swill-belly1699
tickle-pitcher1699
whetter1709
draughtsmanc1720
bender1728
drammer1740
dram-drinker1744
drammist1756
rum-bud1805
siper1805
Bacchanal1812
boozera1819
rum-sucker1819
soak1820
imp of the spigot1821
polyposist1821
wineskin1821
sack-guzzler1823
sitfast1828
swill-flagon1829
cup-man1834
swiper1836
Lushington1851
lushing-man1859
bloat1860
pottle pot1860
tipsificator1873
tipsifier1873
pegger1874
swizzler1876
bibulant1883
toss-cup1883
lusher1895
stew-bum1902
shicker1906
stiff1907
souse1915
booze-hound1926
stumblebum1932
tanker1932
lush-hound1935
lushy1944
lush-head1945
binge drinker1946
pisshead1946
hophead1948
1593 Bacchus Bountie in Harl. Misc. (1809) II. 265 The greatest soakers shal be least controulde.
1652 Charac. Low Countries 60 The Dutchman would still be the perfectest soker.
1679 A. Wood Life & Times (1892) II. 460 The black pot men carried it for Perot, a thorough paced soaker.
1771 Ann. Reg. 1770 ii. 240 'Tis Soakers like me..That enable you Brewers to ride in your Coaches.
1840 R. H. Barham Look at Clock in Ingoldsby Legends 1st Ser. 54 Amusing himself..With a couple more soakers, Thoroughbred smokers.
1897 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. II. 865 In the case of a soaker on the verge of delirium tremens.
3. old soaker:
a. An old hand at anything; an old stager.Perhaps originally with allusion to drinking (cf. 3b, 2), but this does not appear in the quotations.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > old person > [noun] > old and experienced person
veteran1565
old standard1588
old soaker1590
oldie1799
old-timer1860
1590 R. Harvey Plaine Percevall sig. C An olde sooker, that caries such Pottical verses of the State of Flanders, in a linnen bag.
1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 194 He was an old soaker indeede: and had more witt in his hoary head, then six hundred of these floorishing greene heads.
1614 G. Meriton Christian Mans Assuring House 35 A young sinner is easily converted; but olde soakers are hardly reclaimed.
c1670 H. Newcome Diary (1885) 142 These old soakers with their Record's Arithmetic.
b. An old hand at drinking; a regular toper.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > thirst > excess in drinking > [noun] > one who drinks to excess
houndOE
drinkerc1200
keach-cup?c1225
gulchcupa1250
bollerc1320
taverner1340
ale stake?1515
wine-bibber1535
bibber1536
swill-bowl1542
malt-wormc1550
rinse-pitcher1552
bibblera1556
ale knight1556
tosspot1568
ring-pigger1570
troll-the-bowl1575
malt-bug1577
gossip-pint-pot1580
black pot1582
alehouse knight1583
worrier1584
suck-spigot1585
bezzle1592
bezzlera1593
cup-leech1593
soaker1593
carouser1596
barley-cap1598
swiller1598
rob-pot1599
Philistine1600
sponge1600
wine-knight1601
fill-knaga1605
reel-pot1604
faithful1609
fill-pot1609
bouser1611
spigot-sucker1611
suck-pint1611
whip-can1611
bib-all-night1612
afternoon man1615
potling1616
Bacchanalian1617
bombard1617
pot-shot1617
potisuge1620
trougha1625
tumbrila1625
borachioa1627
pot-leech1630
kill-pota1637
biberon1637
bang-pitcher1639
son of Bacchusc1640
shuffler1642
suck-bottlea1652
swill-pot1653
poter1657
potatora1660
old soaker1665
fuddle cap1666
old toast1668
bubber1669
toper1673
ale-toast1691
Bacchant1699
fuddler1699
swill-belly1699
tickle-pitcher1699
whetter1709
draughtsmanc1720
bender1728
drammer1740
dram-drinker1744
drammist1756
rum-bud1805
siper1805
Bacchanal1812
boozera1819
rum-sucker1819
soak1820
imp of the spigot1821
polyposist1821
wineskin1821
sack-guzzler1823
sitfast1828
swill-flagon1829
cup-man1834
swiper1836
Lushington1851
lushing-man1859
bloat1860
pottle pot1860
tipsificator1873
tipsifier1873
pegger1874
swizzler1876
bibulant1883
toss-cup1883
lusher1895
stew-bum1902
shicker1906
stiff1907
souse1915
booze-hound1926
stumblebum1932
tanker1932
lush-hound1935
lushy1944
lush-head1945
binge drinker1946
pisshead1946
hophead1948
1665 S. Pepys Diary 15 Feb. (1972) VI. 36 A very good dinner among the old Sokers.
1670 J. Eachard Grounds Contempt of Clergy 31 A task..that would much better fit some old soker at Parnassus, than his sipping unexperienc'd Bibbership.
1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew An old Soker, a true Pitcher-man.
1829 W. Scott Anne of Geierstein II. vii. 218 Some quiet old soakers, who were already beginning to think of the reckoning.
1863 Mortons of Bardom I. 177 Thus assailed, the old soaker was compelled to withdraw.
4.
a. One who soaks something.
ΚΠ
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Trempeur, a dipper; wetter, moistener; soaker, steeper.
b. A drenching rain.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > precipitation or atmospheric moisture > rain > [noun] > a or the fall of rain > downpour
floodc1275
spate1513
spout1554
gourder1565
squata1640
downpouring1669
deluge1720
pash1722
plout1740
on-ding1776
pelt1785
soaker1789
pelter1791
teem1793
pour1794
oncome1808
downpour1811
plash1820
slashing1829
plungec1841
dispunging1876
steeper1878
splurge1879
soak1891
drencher1892
toad-strangler1938
1789 J. Byng Diary 29 May in Torrington Diaries (1938) IV. 95 An approaching Storm made me pull up near the Grey Hound Inn; and well I did, for it came down a Soaker.
1839 T. Hood Ode to St. Swithin v Mother of all the Family of Rainers! Saint of the Soakers!
1857 A. Mayhew Paved with Gold (1858) ii. v. 112 The rain came down in streams of water... ‘Here's a soaker!’ thought the young Bohemian.
c. A soaking pit.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > furnace or kiln > furnace > [noun] > conditioning furnace
soaking pit1882
soaker1928
1928 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 117 201 The heated soakers are fired by blast-furnace gas.
1959 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 193 368/2 The soaking pit used was an electric soaker with a single trough coke resistor.
1976 Steel USSR VI. 194/2 The holding period from the end of casting to charging into the soakers was maintained constant as far as possible.
5. A sheet of lead used in roofing to keep out heavy rains.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > base metal > [noun] > lead > lead in specific form > sheet
web1343
table1809
soaker1895
1895 Jrnl. Royal Inst. Brit. Archit. Mar. 351 Hips should have hip-tiles and not soakers.
Draft additions September 2020
Chiefly Canadian. The action or fact of getting one's foot or feet wet, especially as a result of stepping into a puddle. Frequently in to get a soaker.
ΚΠ
1987 Toronto Star 9 Jan. (Final ed.) a3/1 What good is a ducky in this country if you can't wade through slush at an intersection without getting a soaker?
1997 Calgary (Alberta) Herald (Nexis) 8 June (Final ed.) d11 The water was cold and my bare foot kept sinking into the muddy silt... But what's a soaker when there's wild watercress to be picked?
2020 @gMudry 17 Mar. in twitter.com (accessed 25 Mar. 2020) When I stepped off the curb I got a soaker when I sunk my foot in a puddle, gutted.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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