puckery

puckery

The child's face becomes puckery after tasting the sour lemon.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Causing puckering: "puckery" describes something that has the quality of causing a puckering or tightening effect, typically on the skin or in the mouth, as from an astringent or sour substance.
    • Wrinkled or contracted: It can also refer to something that is prone to forming small wrinkles or folds, like fabric or skin.
Usage Examples

  • Causing puckering:

    • The lemonade was so puckery that it made my mouth feel tight. (The drink was very sour and astringent, causing a puckering sensation.)
    • This astringent lotion has a puckery effect on the skin. (The lotion tightens and contracts the skin.)

  • Wrinkled or contracted:

    • The puckery fabric of the old dress was difficult to iron. (The fabric had many small wrinkles or folds.)
    • Her puckery lips showed she had just eaten something sour. (Her lips were pursed or wrinkled from the taste.)
Advanced Usage

  • "puckery taste": a taste that causes the mouth to contract or pucker, often associated with unripe fruit or tannins.

    • The puckery taste of the green apple made me wince. (The sour, astringent flavour caused a physical reaction.)

  • "puckery skin": skin that has become wrinkled or contracted, often from water or age.

    • After swimming for an hour, her fingers had a puckery appearance. (The skin on her fingers was wrinkled from prolonged water exposure.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Pucker (verb/noun): to contract into wrinkles or folds; a wrinkle or fold.

    • His mouth began to pucker after tasting the vinegar. (His lips contracted into a wrinkled shape.)

  • Puckered (adjective): having wrinkles or folds.

    • The puckered seams on the shirt needed pressing. (The seams were gathered or wrinkled.)
Synonyms
  • Astringent: causing contraction of bodily tissues, especially the mouth (e.g., ).
  • Sour: having an acidic taste that can cause puckering (e.g., ).
  • Wrinkly: having many small wrinkles (e.g., ).
Related Idioms

  • Pucker up: to contract the lips into a pucker, often in preparation for a kiss or as a reaction to something sour.

    • She told him to pucker up for a kiss. (She asked him to purse his lips.)

  • Pucker one's brow: to wrinkle one's forehead in thought or concentration.

    • He puckered his brow while solving the puzzle. (He frowned or wrinkled his forehead.)