Meaning
Completely tired or deprived of energy. Current, informal, and folksy Regional use: United States, first documented in New England.
Origin
An Americanism from early 19th-century New England. Tucker out is printed in 1836 of a shark and a horse, and tuckered out appears that same year. It probably developed from tuck meaning food, appetite, or the energy supplied by eating: to tucker something out was to exhaust its store. The related take the tuck out of, meaning sap strength or courage, is documented by 1852.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- all tuckered out
- take the tuck out of
- tucker out
Usage Examples
- After hauling stones uphill all morning, we were thoroughly tuckered out.
- The long delay took the tuck out of even the keenest volunteers.