Definition

Verb: - To become wrinkled, gathered, or drawn together, often forming folds or creases in fabric or material.

Usage

This verb describes the action of a smooth surface, typically cloth or fabric, developing wrinkles or gathers, often unintentionally. It implies a loss of smoothness and the formation of irregular folds.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to ruck something up": To cause something to become wrinkled or gathered.
  • He rucked up his shirt sleeves before starting work.
• The word often carries a connotation of untidiness or accidental creasing, as opposed to intentional pleating or folding.

Variants and Related Words

• Ruck (noun): A wrinkle or a fold in a material.
  • She smoothed out the rucks in the carpet.
• Rucked (adjective): In a state of being wrinkled or gathered.
  • The rucked fabric needed to be ironed.

Synonyms

• Pucker: To gather into small wrinkles or folds (often used for skin or lips, but also fabric).
• Crumple: To crush something so that it becomes creased and wrinkled.
• Gather: To draw together into small folds or puckers (can be intentional or unintentional).

Phrasal Verbs

• Ruck up is itself a phrasal verb. There are no further common phrasal verbs derived from "ruck" in this specific sense.

Related Idioms

• No common idioms directly feature the verb "ruck up."

Verb

1. become wrinkled or drawn together
   • her lips puckered