Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PUCK'ER, v.t. [Sp. buche, a purse, rumple or pucker; bucle, a buckle; buchar, to hide. Buche signifies also a crop or craw, and the breast; hence perhaps L. pectus; Port. bucho, the crop, the stomach. Qu. Ir. fighim, to weave; G. fach. In Gr. πυκα signifies closely, densely; πυαωζω, to cover. Class Bg. The primary sense is probably to draw, to wrinkle.]

To gather into small folds or wrinkles; to contract into ridges and furrows; to corrugate. His face pale and withered, and his skin puckered in wrinkles. – Spectator. It is usually followed by up; as, to pucker up cloth; but up is superfluous. It is a popular word, but not elegant.