Also 6–8 soker (6 sooker ?). [f. SOAK v. + -ER1.]
† 1. A drainer, exhauster. Obs.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. (1586), 40. It is a great soker of the grounde.
1610. W. Folkingham, Art of Survey, I. x. 31. Wheate, Barley, Woade,… are great impairers and soakers of the soyle.
1629. Massinger, Picture, III. iv. (1630), G 3 b–G 4. I found By sad experience, there is no such soker As a yonger spongie wife.
1641. Day, Parliament of Bees, x. He’s a male polecat; a mere heart-blood soaker.
2. An immoderate drinker; a drunkard. Cf. 3 b.
1593. Bacchus Bountie, in Harl. Misc. (1809), II. 265. The greatest soakers shal be least controulde.
1652. Charac. Low Countries, 60. The Dutchman would still be the perfectest soker.
1679. Wood, Life (O.H.S.), II. 460. The black pot men carried it for Perot, a thorough paced soaker.
1770. Ann. Reg., II. 240. ’Tis Soakers like me … That enable you Brewers to ride in your Coaches.
1837. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. Look at the Clock, iv. Amusing himself … With a couple more soakers, Thoroughbred smokers.
1897. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., II. 865. In the case of a soaker on the verge of delirium tremens.
fig. 1593. Nashe, Four Lett. Conf., Wks. (Grosart), II. 242. A scholler in nothing but the scum of schollership, a stale soker at Tullies Offices.
1665. Brathwait, Comment Two Tales, 101. I know you for a notable Soaker; you cannot endure a Sharer.
1700. Congreve, Way of World, IV. ii. The sun’s … an honest soaker; he has a cellar at your Antipodes.
3. Old soaker: a. An old hand at anything; an old stager.
Perh. originally with allusion to drinking (cf. b and 2), but this does not appear in the quotations.
1589. R. Harvey, Plain Perc. (1590), 9. An olde sooker, that caries such Pottical verses of the State of Flanders, in a linnen bag.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 295. He was an old soaker indeede: and had more witt in his hoary head, then six hundred of these floorishing greene heads.
1614. Meriton, Christian Mans Assuring-house, 35. A young sinner is easily converted; but olde soakers are hardly reclaimed.
c. 1670. Newcome, Diary (1885), 142. These old soakers with their Record’s Arithmetic.
b. An old hand at drinking; a regular toper.
1665. Pepys, Diary, 15 Feb. A very good dinner among the old sokers.
1670. Eachard, Cont. Clergy, 31. A task … that would much better fit some old soker at Parnassus, than his sipping unexperienc’d Bibbership.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, An old Soker, a true Pitcher-man.
1829. Scott, Anne of G., xix. Some quiet old soakers, who were already beginning to think of the reckoning.
1863. Mortons of Bardom, I. 177. Thus assailed, the old soaker was compelled to withdraw.
4. a. One who soaks something.
1611. Cotgr., Trempeur, a dipper; wetter, moistener; soaker, steeper.
b. A drenching rain.
1839. Hood, To St. Swithin, v. Mother of all the Family of Rainers! Saint of the Soakers!
1857. A. Mayhew, Paved with Gold, II. v. The rain came down in streams of water…. ‘Here’s a soaker!’ thought the young Bohemian.
5. A sheet of lead used in roofing to keep out heavy rains.
1895. Jrnl. R. Inst. Brit. Archit., March, 351. Hips should have hip-tiles and not soakers.
