sucker

sucker · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Germanic*sūkaną
2. Proto-West Germanic*sūkan
3. Old Englishsūcan
4. Middle Englishsouken
5. Middle Englishsouker
6. English todaysucker

From Middle English souker, sokere, sukkere, soukere, equivalent to suck (verb) + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Suuger, West Frisian sûker (“sucker”), Dutch zuiger (“sucker”), German Sauger (“dummy; vacuum”).

sucker · noun²

1. German · derived fromSache“thing”
2. English todaysucker

Possibly from German Sache (“thing”).

First known use, by meaning

• from late 14th century A person or animal that sucks, especially a breast or udder; especially a suckling animal, young mammal before it is weaned.
• from 1570s An undesired stem growing out of the roots or lower trunk of a shrub or tree, especially from the rootstock of a grafted plant or tree.
• from 1750s Any fish in the family Catostomidae of North America and eastern Asia, which have mouths modified into downward-pointing, suckerlike structures for feeding in bottom sediments.
• from 1820s A lollipop; a piece of candy which is sucked.
• from 1830s A person who is easily deceived, tricked or persuaded to do something; a naive or gullible person.