soak

1 verb

1 (I, T) if you soak something or 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 beans overnight. | leave sth to soak: Just leave the dishes to soak; I'll wash them later. | soak sth off/out (=remove it by soaking): Soak the label off the jar.

2 (intransitive always + adv/prep, transitive) to make something completely wet, or to become completely wet

(+ through/into etc): If the ink soaks through the paper, it'll stain the table underneath. | soak sth: The rain came suddenly and soaked all the washing.

3 (I) to spend a long time taking a bath

4 (T) informal to make someone pay too much money in prices or taxes: Soak the rich seems to be the policy of all socialist governments

soak sth up phrasal verb (T)

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

2 to learn something quickly and easily: That child just soaks up information.

3 soak up the sun to sit outside for a long time enjoying the sun

2 noun (C)

1 a long and enjoyable time spent in the bath: a good long soak after shopping all day

2 an act of soaking something: give sth a soak: Give the towels a good soak, they're very dirty.

3 an old soak BrE humorous someone who is often drunk