overboard into the sea, and the powerful currents sucked them under.  $ \mid $ (fig.) Britain's high interest rates are sucking in a lot of foreign money.  $ \mid $ (fig.) Gullible people can easily get sucked into dishonest schemes by unscrupulous tricksters.  $ \mathbf{4} $  $ \mathbf{[1]} $ AmE slang not polite to be extremely disagreeable or unacceptable: This film really sucks.
suck up phr v [l(to)] BrE infml derog to try to make oneself liked, especially by unnaturally nice behaviour to someone: She's always sucking up to her teacher.
suck² n an act of sucking: He had a suck of his ice lolly.
suck•er /ˈsʌkər/ n 1 a person or thing that sucks 2 an organ by which an animal can hold on to a surface: This fly has suckers on its feet. 3 a flat piece of soft material, e.g. rubber, which sticks to a surface by SUCTION: You stick this hook to the wall with a sucker, then hang something from it. 4 a piece of new plant growth coming out through the ground from the root or lower stem of a plant 5 [(for)] infm| a| a person who is easily deceived or tricked: You're a sucker to believe his stories! b) someone who likes the stated thing so much that they cannot refuse it: I'm a sucker for ice cream. | He's a sucker for beautiful women. (=is so attracted by them that they can easily take advantage of his fondness) 6 AmE for LOLLIPOP
'sucking pig also 'suckling pig n [C;U] (a) young pig still taking milk from its mother, especially as cooked and eaten on special occasions
suck·le /'sʌkəl/ v [ɑːt] a) to feed (a baby or young animal) with milk from the breast: a sheep suckling her lamb b) (of a baby or young animal) to suck milk from the breast (of) → compare BREAST-FEED, NURSE
suck·ling /'sʌklɪŋ/ n lit or old use a young human or animal still taking milk from the mother
Su·crets /'suːkrəts|su:'krets/ trademark a type of round, red COUGH SWEET (=a sweet with medicine to help you stop coughing), sold in the US in small tin boxes
su-crose /'su:krəuz, 'sju:-||'su:-/ n [U] tech the common form of sugar
suc-tion /'sʌkʃən/ n [U] the act of removing air or liquid from a container or from between two surfaces so that either a) another gas or liquid enters or b) the two surfaces stick together because of the pressure of the air outside: Dirt and dust are drawn into a vacuum cleaner by suction. | It's stuck to the wall with a suction cap BrE || cup AmE (=a small usually round piece of rubber or plastic that works by suction)
'suction pump n a pump which works by removing air to make a VACUUM so that the material to be pumped is sucked in
Su·dan /su'dæn, -'dæn/ also the Sudan a country in northeast Africa, south of Egypt and west of Ethiopia, which is the largest country in Africa. Population: 38,114,160 (2003). Capital: Khartoum. Since the 1980s Sudan has suffered from FAMINE (=serious lack of food), and there has been a CIVIL WAR between the mainly Muslim north of the country and the mainly Christian south. The fighting became even worse after oil was discovered in the south.
Su·dan·ese /ˌsuːdəˈniːz/ ˈsuːdnˈiːz/ adj from the Sudan or connected with the Sudan: the Sudanese government —Sudanese n
sud-den /'sʌdn/ adj 1 happening, coming, or done quickly and unexpectedly: a sudden illness | a sudden change of plan | a sudden sharp increase in the cost of oil | This marriage is very sudden – they've only known each other a few weeks. 2 all of a sudden infirm suddenly —ly adv: I suddenly remembered that I hadn't locked the door. We were talking on the phone when, suddenly, the line went dead. —ness n [U]
sudden 'death n [U] an additional period of play in a sport to decide which player or team is the winner. The sudden death ends as soon as one player or team gains the lead: Nick Faldo won the Open golf championship after a sudden death play-off.
Sudden, Infant 'Death, Syndrome abbrev. SIDS the medical name for COT DEATH
suds /sʌdz/ also soapsuds n [P] the mass of small balls of air (BUBBLES) formed on the top of soapy water —sudsy adj
Su-de-ten-land /su:'deitənlænd/ an area in the north west of the Czech Republic which Hitler attacked and took control of in 1938, just before World War II
sue /sjuːˈsuː/ v [ɑːT (for)] to make a legal claim (against), especially for an amount of money, because of some loss or damage that one has suffered: If you don't return our property, we'll sue. He was sued for (=because of) libel/malpractice/breach of contract. I'll sue them for (=in order to get) every penny they've got.
CULTURAL NOTE The practice of suing people and organizations is called LITIGATION and is especially common in the US. Typical examples include drivers who have been sued for causing road accidents, and doctors who have been sued by PATIENTS who believe that they have not received good medical treatment. Sometimes people have sued and won large amounts of money for reasons that seem silly to many people, such as suing a restaurant because its coffee was too hot. Suing is rarer in the UK, but it is becoming more common.
sue for sthg. phr v [1] fml to beg or ask for: The other side realize they are beaten, and are suing for peace.
suede, suède /swɛd/ n [U] soft leather with a rough surface; suede shoes
su·et /'su:t, 'sju:t||'su:-/ n [U] hard fat from round an animal's KIDNEYs used in cooking —→y adj
,suet 'pudding n a sweet dish made with fruit and suet and usually steamed, considered to be a TRADITIONAL British dish and now thought by many people to be too heavy and filling
Suez Ca·nal, the /ˌsuːz kəˈnælliːsuːez-/ a CANAL in northeast Egypt which was opened in 1869 and which joins the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea. It is used by ships going between Europe and the Indian Ocean.
Suez, Crisis, the //.',.../ the events in 1956 that followed the decision by the government of Egypt to take control of the Suez Canal. Before this, the canal was owned and operated by a foreign company. When Egypt took control, the UK and France sent ships and soldiers to the area to try to get the canal back. This attempt failed, and it was criticized by most other countries, including the US and the former Soviet Union. The British and French forces left Egypt after a few months, and the British Prime Minister, Anthony Eden, gave up his position as a result of this. For many people in the UK, the Suez Crisis was a serious defeat and a sign that the UK was no longer an important international power. In the UK, the Suez Crisis is often simply called Suez.
suffer /ˈsʌfər/ v 1 [ˈlɒfər] to experience pain, difficulty, or loss: He died very quickly; he didn't suffer much. | She was very generous to him but she suffered for it when he ran away with all her money. | If the factory closes, the other local businesses are bound to suffer too. 2 [T] to experience or have to deal with (something painful or unpleasant): If you break the law, you must be prepared to suffer the consequences. | The army suffered heavy losses (=many soldiers were killed) in the battle. | She suffered multiple injuries in the car accident. | He suffered the humiliation of being forced to resign. | to suffer a defeat/a setback → see also SUFFER from 3 [I] to become gradually worse; lessen in quality, especially through lack of care and attention: He started drinking a lot and his work suffered. 4 [T] fml to accept without dislike or complaint; TOLERATE: He doesn't suffer fools (gladly). 5 [T+obj+to-v] old use to allow → see also LONGSUFFERING
suffer from sthg. phr v [T] to experience (something unpleasant, such as an illness), especially over a long period of time or habitually: She suffers from headaches. | Our business has suffered from lack of investment.
sufferance /'sʌfərəns/ n on sufferance ḫm/ with permission, though not welcomed: He's here on sufferance.
suf-fer-er /'sʌfərər/ n a person who suffers, especially from the stated illness: headache sufferers
suffering /'sʌfərɪŋ/ n [C;U] (an experience of) pain and difficulty generally: the suffering of innocent people caused by war | She bore her sufferings bravely.
suf-fice /sə'faɪs/ v [not in progressive forms] fɪm/ 1 [1(for)] to be