Link Centre Dictionary

truckle

UK/ˈtɹʌkəl/ uncommon

noun

1.

a low bed to be slid under a higher bed

verb

1.

yield to out of weakness

2.

try to gain favor by cringing or flattering

  • “He is always kowtowing to his boss”

Origin

From a back formation of truckle bed (a bed on which a pupil slept, because it was rolled on casters into a lower position under the master's larger bed), from Middle English trookylbed. Compare also trundle bed. Assisted by false association with Middle English *trukelen, truken, trokien, trukien, from Old English trucian (“to fail, diminish”), Low German truggeln (“to flatter, fawn”), see truck.

Phrases

  • truckle bed

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.