suction
noun
suc·tion
| \ ˈsək-shən
\
\
Definition of suction
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: the act or process of sucking
2a
: the act or process of exerting a force upon a solid, liquid, or gaseous body by reason of reduced air pressure over part of its surface
b
: force so exerted
3
: a device (such as a pipe or fitting) used in a machine that operates by suction
suction
verb
suctioned;
suctioning;
suctions
Definition of suction (Entry 2 of 2)
: to remove (as from a body cavity or passage) by suction
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Other Words from suction
Noun
suctional
\ ˈsək-shə-nᵊl
, -shnəl \
adjective
, -shnəl \
adjective
Examples of suction in a Sentence
Noun
The vacuum cleaner picks up dirt by suction. The octopus grasps things using suction. a vacuum cleaner with enough suction to pick up the heaviest particles of dirtVerb
The surgeon will suction blood out of the area.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Using a facial steamer apparently helps open up the skin and soften and loosen underlying debris to make suction more effective. — Jenna Wirth, Health.com, "I Used A Pore Vacuum To Suction Out My Blackheads—and It Actually Worked," 2 Aug. 2019 These are suction-cup like features that ensnare and absorb food. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Brain-eating amoeba kills again—here’s how it kills and how to avoid it," 26 July 2019 But adhesive can be more reliable in certain cases because a dashboard’s irregular surface might prevent a good suction bond. — Julio Ojeda-zapata, Twin Cities, "MN drivers: If you want to use your phone in the car, you’ll need a mount. Here’s how to select one.," 25 July 2019 The tool comes with adjustable suction settings and interchangeable probes to address all kinds of skin problems (blackheads, scarring, and loose skin). — Jenna Wirth, Health.com, "I Used A Pore Vacuum To Suction Out My Blackheads—and It Actually Worked," 2 Aug. 2019 This handheld model gets 15-20 minutes of suction on a charge and is made for cars, boats, and the far-flung corners of your home. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "The 26 Best Prime Day Deals From Amazon's Biggest Rivals," 15 July 2019 Teach your children never to play or swim near drains or suction outlets. — Amy Chillag, CNN, "Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for young children. Here's how to prevent it," 3 July 2019 Not all filtration bottles are created equal: Some rely on suction, others require pressure, some protect against a variety of pathogens and others don’t. — Sunny Fitzgerald, National Geographic, "6 plastic-free ways to travel with safe drinking water," 7 Mar. 2019 And there is evidence that some of these trains create enough suction to draw people to the tracks. — Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, "Connecticut Supreme Court says lawsuit against Metro North involving a Darien man struck and killed by a train can proceed," 5 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Many people have never eaten—or even heard of—red abalone, a species of sea snail that lives suctioned onto boulders and feeds on the lush kelp forests of Northern California. — Richie Hertzberg, National Geographic, "California's disappearing sea snails carry a grim climate warning," 20 Aug. 2019 Each bottle can be hung on a shower hook or suctioned to the wall for easy use. — Lauren Joseph, Condé Nast Traveler, "8 Reusable Travel Bottles for All Your Creams, Soaps, and Serums," 19 Aug. 2019 The ring of Zynae’s laughter has been replaced in the house by the loud, raw sound of the machine that her parents and nurses use to regularly suction and clear her mouth to avoid choking. — Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, "A child touched an electrified railing at MGM National Harbor resort, and lives changed.," 8 July 2019 Astronauts need to make sure their excrement hits a roughly dish-sized hole, which suctions it into a plastic bag. — Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, "Here’s What a $52 Million Ticket to the ISS Will Get You," 11 June 2019 When the hole is about three feet deep, groundwater rushes in and is suctioned out with a mechanical pump. — Paul Tullis, National Geographic, "How the sapphire trade is driving lemurs toward extinction," 6 Mar. 2019 So with my afternoon feeling true downforce suctioning everything to the ground complete, perhaps staying below 130mph can be a new sweet spot. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "How a day driving high-downforce cars at VIR taught me I’m OK being slow," 11 Sep. 2018 Young suctioned out birth debris from the baby's mouth and everybody rubbed her with hands and towels to trigger breathing. — Jane Ford-stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Baby born practically in front yard of Greenfield home on Memorial Day," 5 June 2018 From suctioning grime and makeup out of your pores to infusing your skin with antioxidants, there's a solution for every skin complaint out there. — Deanna Pai, Glamour, "15 Great Sheet Masks, So Cheap You Can Buy Them All," 12 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for suction
suction
noun
English Language Learners Definition of suction
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the act or process of removing the air, water, etc., from a space in order to pull something into that space or in order to cause something to stick to a surface
also
: the force with which the air, water, etc., in a space is removed
suction
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of suction (Entry 2 of 2)
technical
: to remove (something) by pulling it with the force of moving water, air, etc. : to remove (something) by using suction
See the full definition for suction in the English Language Learners Dictionary
suction
noun
suc·tion
| \ ˈsək-shən
\
\
Kids Definition of suction
1
: the act or process of sucking
2
: the process of drawing something into a space (as in a pump) by removing air from the space
3
: the force caused by suction
The vacuum cleaner has strong suction.
suction
noun
suc·tion
| \ ˈsək-shən
\
\
Medical Definition of suction
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: the act or process of sucking
2a
: the act or process of exerting a force upon a solid, liquid, or gaseous body by reason of reduced air pressure over part of its surface