tuck in
Definition
Verb (phrasal verb): 1. To eat something, especially food, heartily and with enjoyment: This is the primary meaning, referring to consuming food with gusto, often implying a large or satisfying amount. 2. To make someone, especially a child, comfortable in bed by arranging the bedcovers snugly around them: A secondary, less common meaning involving preparing someone for sleep.
Usage and Examples
- Verb (phrasal verb):
- After the long hike, we were ready to tuck in to a big meal. (This shows eating heartily after an activity.)
- The food looks delicious—let's tuck in! (This is a common invitation to start eating enthusiastically.)
- He tucked in three burgers without any trouble. (This emphasizes consuming a considerable quantity.)
Advanced Usage
- Transitive use ("tuck something in"): While often intransitive, it can be used transitively with the food as the object.
- She tucked in her dinner quickly.
- Figurative use: Can be used humorously or figuratively for consuming things other than food with gusto.
- He tucked in to the new book and finished it in one sitting.
Variants and Related Words
- Tuck-in (noun, informal): A large meal.
- We had a proper tuck-in at the party.
- Tuck into (phrasal verb): A common variant with the same meaning as "tuck in."
- They tucked into the feast.
Synonyms
- Eat up: To eat all of something.
- Dig in: To start eating eagerly (very similar in use).
- Devour: To eat quickly and eagerly.
- Wolf down: To eat very quickly.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Tuck away: Can also mean to eat a lot of food, or to store something safely.
- He can tuck away an amazing amount of food. (To eat a lot)
- I tucked the letter away in a drawer. (To store)
Related Idioms
- To do justice to a meal: To eat a meal heartily and appreciatively, similar in spirit to "tucking in."
- We certainly did justice to the Thanksgiving dinner.
Verb
-
eat up; usually refers to a considerable quantity of food
-
My son tucked in a whole pizza
-