tuck

The verb "tuck" usually means to push, fold, or place something neatly into a position where it stays in place. Very often, it suggests care, order, or comfort. You might tuck a blanket around a child, tuck a shirt into a skirt or pair of pants, tuck a letter into a book, or tuck your hands into your pockets on a cold day.

In everyday English, the word appears in a few very common patterns. To tuck someone in means to make them comfortable in bed by arranging the covers around them. To tuck something in can mean folding or pushing part of it neatly inside, as with clothes, sheets, or paper. To tuck something away usually means putting it somewhere safe, private, or out of sight. You can also tuck yourself away in a quiet corner, which gives the idea of settling into a small, comfortable place.

The word can be used in both literal and slightly figurative ways. Literally, you can tuck hair behind an ear or tuck a napkin under your chin. In a more figurative sense, you might tuck away money for later or tuck a memory away in your mind. Across these uses, the central idea stays the same: moving something into a neat, close, or protected place.