suck·er / ˈsəkər/ • n. 1. a person or thing that sucks, in particular: ∎  a flat or concave organ enabling an animal to cling to a surface by suction. ∎  the piston of a suction pump. ∎  a pipe through which liquid is drawn by suction. 2. inf. a gullible or easily deceived person. ∎  (a sucker for) a person especially susceptible to or fond of a specified thing: I always was a sucker for a good fairy tale. 3. inf. a thing or person not specified by name: he's one strong sucker. 4. Bot. a shoot springing from the base of a tree or other plant, esp. one arising from the root below ground level at some distance from the main stem or trunk. ∎  a side shoot from an axillary bud, as in tomato plants. 5. a freshwater fish (family Catostomidae) with thick lips that are used to suck up food from the bottom, native to North America and Asia. 6. inf. a lollipop.• v. 1. [intr.] Bot. (of a plant) produce suckers: it spread rapidly after being left undisturbed to sucker. 2. [tr.] inf. fool or trick (someone): they got suckered into accepting responsibility.

sucker An underground shoot arising adventitously from the roots or lower stem of a tree or shrub and emerging from the soil to form a new plant, initially nourished by the parent plant. In cultivated species where grafting (see GRAFT) is practised (e.g. roses and fruit trees), production of suckers from the stock may seriously detract from the vigour of the grafted scion. The term may also be applied to the modified root of a parasite that enables it to extract nutrients from the host.

sucker
1. An underground shoot arising adventitiously from the roots or lower stem of a tree or shrub and emerging from the soil to form a new plant, initially nourished by the parent plant. In cultivated species where grafting (see graft) is practised (e.g. roses and fruit trees), production of suckers from the stock may seriously detract from the vigour of the grafted scion. The term may also be applied to the modified root of a parasite which enables it to extract nutrients from the host.

2. An organ with which an animal attaches itself to a surface.

sucker (turion) A shoot that arises from an underground root or stem and grows at the expense of the parent plant. Suckers can be dug up with a portion of root attached and used to propagate a plant. If, however, a plant is grafted onto a different rootstock, as many roses are, any suckers will be of the wild rootstock, rather than the ornamental scion, and must be removed.

sucker Any of several species of freshwater fish found from n Canada to Mexico. A bottom-grubber similar to a minnow, it has a thick-lipped mouth for feeding by suction. Length: to 66cm (26in); weight: to 5.4kg (12lb). Family Catostomidae.