What does tucking mean?
Tucking is the present participle and gerund of the English verb tuck, with several closely related meanings. Most commonly, it describes placing or folding something under, within, or neatly away, as when household objects are put into storage or children are tucked into bed. The word also describes drawing clothing or part of the body into a confined space, securing an object by pushing or fastening it into place, and making stitched folds in fabric. In dressmaking, a tuck is a narrow fold held by stitches, while tucking can refer to the process of making such folds. The word also carries a quieter, more figurative sense of moving into a sheltered or concealed place. Although ordinary English often uses the shorter verb tuck, the -ing form is useful for describing an ongoing, repeated, or completed activity, such as tucking in a passenger or tucking away supplies.
To fold, draw, or place something neatly under, within, or away from view; also, to push or secure something in a confined place.
"He was tucking the folded shirts into a drawer."
The present participle can describe an activity in progress, as in “She is tucking in the sheets,” or a completed action viewed as a whole, as in “The captain tucked the boat behind the rocks.”
The action or process of tucking something; in dressmaking, a stitched fold or the making of such folds.
"The careful tucking of the sheets gave the bed a neat appearance."
This gerund noun is uncommon in general use but is established in dressmaking and related descriptions of folded fabric.
Rare; the noun is normally treated as an uncountable process or activity.
"The tuckings along the sleeve add a decorative detail."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tucking come from?
The word comes from the Middle English verb tucken, meaning to tuck, fold, or draw something close, though the precise origin of that medieval verb is uncertain. The modern form tucking is the regular present-participle and gerund formation of tuck. English also developed related forms such as tucker and tuckered, originally referring to someone who tucks or to things that were tucked or neatly arranged.
Related word forms
How tucking is actually used
In its present-participle use, tucking is especially common for bedding, clothing, and storage. In dressmaking, it can refer more technically to the formation or arrangement of sewn folds; the gerund noun is less common outside this or similar descriptive contexts.