Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SOAK, v.t. [Sax. socian; W. swgiaw, to soak, and sugaw, to suck. To soak is to suck in; D. zuigen, G. saugen, Ar. سَقَي sakai, to imbibe, that is, to draw; Ir. sughthach, soaking; perhaps hence Sw. sackta, D. zagt, soft. Class Sg, No. 36. Heb. Ch. and Syr. שקה. No. 82.]

1. To steep; to cause or suffer to lie in a fluid till the substance has imbibed what it can contain; to macerate in water or other fluid; as, to soak cloth to soak bread.
2. To drench; to wet thoroughly. The earth is soaked with heavy rains. Their land shall be soaked with blood. – Is. xxxiv.
3. To draw in by the pores; as the skin. – Dryden.
4. To drain. [Not authorized.]