Webster's English Dictionary

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soak

1. soak \'so-k\ vb [ME soken, fr. OE socian; akin to OE su-can to suck] 1: 
   to remain steeping in water or other liquid  2a: to enter or pass through 
   something by or as if by pores or interstices  : PERMEATE 2b: to penetrate 
   or affect the mind or feelings  3: to drink alcoholic beverages 
   intemperately  1: to permeate so as to wet, soften, or fill thoroughly : 
   SATURATE  2a: to place in a liquid or other surrounding element to wet or 
   as if to w et thoroughly : SUBMERGE 2b: to imbue fully : IMMERSE  3a: to 
   extract by or as if by steeping {~ the dirt out}  3b: to levy an exorbitant 
   charge against {~ed the taxpayers)> 4a: to draw in by or as if by suction 
   or absorption {~ed up  the sunshine} 4b: to intoxicate (oneself) by 
   drinking alcoholic beverages  5: to beat or punish severely  mean to 
   subject to a liquid until thorough permeation is attained. SOAK implies 
   usu. prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing; SATURATE implies a 
   resulting effect of complete infusion until no more liquid can be absorbed; 
   DRENCH implies a thorough wetting by something poured; STEEP suggests 
   either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the 
   imparting of a quality (as a color) to the thing immersed; IMPREGNATE 
   implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another - soak.er n SYN 
   syn SOAK, SATURATE, DRENCH, STEEP, IMPREGNATE 
2. soak n 1a: the act or process of soaking : the state of being soaked  
   1b: the liquid in which something is soaked : STEEP  2: DRUNKARD  slang  3: 
   PAWN