PLUNGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does plunge mean? 

• PLUNGE (noun)
  The noun PLUNGE has 2 senses:

1. a brief swim in water

2. a steep and rapid fall

  Familiarity information: PLUNGE used as a noun is rare.

• PLUNGE (verb)
  The verb PLUNGE has 8 senses:

1. thrust or throw into

2. drop steeply

3. dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity

4. begin with vigor

5. cause to be immersed

6. fall abruptly

7. immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate

8. devote (oneself) fully to

  Familiarity information: PLUNGE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLUNGE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A brief swim in water

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

dip; plunge

Hypernyms ("plunge" is a kind of...):

swim; swimming (the act of swimming)

Derivation:

plunge (immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate)

plunge (thrust or throw into)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A steep and rapid fall

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("plunge" is a kind of...):

drop; fall (a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity)

Derivation:

plunge (drop steeply)

plunge (fall abruptly)

• PLUNGE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they plunge    ... he / she / it plunges   
Past simple: plunged   
Past participle: plunged   
-ing form: plunging   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Thrust or throw into

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

immerse; plunge

Context example:

Immerse yourself in hot water

Hypernyms (to "plunge" is one way to...):

penetrate; perforate (pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plunge"):

dip; dunk (dip into a liquid while eating)

dip; douse; dunk; plunge; souse (immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate)

dip (plunge (one's hand or a receptacle) into a container)

dip (immerse in a disinfectant solution)

submerge; submerse (put under water)

soak (submerge in a liquid)

sheathe (plunge or bury (a knife or sword) in flesh)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

They plunge the object in the water

Derivation:

plunge (a brief swim in water)

plunger (mechanical device that has a plunging or thrusting motion)

plunger (hand tool consisting of a stick with a rubber suction cup at one end; used to clean clogged drains)

plunger (someone who dives (into water))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Drop steeply

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

dive; plunge; plunk

Context example:

the stock market plunged

Hypernyms (to "plunge" is one way to...):

come down; descend; fall; go down (move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way)

Verb group:

dump; plunge (fall abruptly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plunge"):

power-dive (make a power dive)

nosedive (plunge nose first; drop with the nose or front first, of aircraft)

duck (submerge or plunge suddenly)

crash-dive (descend steeply and rapidly)

chute; jump; parachute (jump from an airplane and descend with a parachute)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

The stock market is going to plunge
The airplane is sure to plunge

Derivation:

plunge (a steep and rapid fall)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

She plunged at it eagerly

Hypernyms (to "plunge" is one way to...):

dart; dash; flash; scoot; scud; shoot (run or move very quickly or hastily)

Verb group:

launch; plunge (begin with vigor)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Begin with vigor

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

launch; plunge

Context example:

She plunged into a dangerous adventure

Hypernyms (to "plunge" is one way to...):

begin; commence; get; get down; set about; set out; start; start out (take the first step or steps in carrying out an action)

Verb group:

plunge (dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to be immersed

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

immerse; plunge

Context example:

The professor plunged his students into the study of the Italian text

Cause:

absorb; engross; engulf; immerse; plunge; soak up; steep (devote (oneself) fully to)

Verb group:

absorb; engross; engulf; immerse; plunge; soak up; steep (devote (oneself) fully to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Fall abruptly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

dump; plunge

Context example:

It plunged to the bottom of the well

Hypernyms (to "plunge" is one way to...):

drop (to fall vertically)

Verb group:

dive; plunge; plunk (drop steeply)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

plunge (a steep and rapid fall)

plunger (someone who dives (into water))

Sense 7

Meaning:

Immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

dip; douse; dunk; plunge; souse

Context example:

dip the brush into the paint

Hypernyms (to "plunge" is one way to...):

immerse; plunge (thrust or throw into)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plunge"):

sop (dip into liquid)

dip; douse; duck (dip into a liquid)

dabble (dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

plunge (a brief swim in water)

plunger (hand tool consisting of a stick with a rubber suction cup at one end; used to clean clogged drains)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Devote (oneself) fully to

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

absorb; engross; engulf; immerse; plunge; soak up; steep

Context example:

He immersed himself into his studies

Hypernyms (to "plunge" is one way to...):

center; centre; concentrate; focus; pore; rivet (direct one's attention on something)

Verb group:

immerse; plunge (cause to be immersed)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plunge"):

drink; drink in (be fascinated or spell-bound by; pay close attention to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

 Context examples 

“I have it,” I cried, and plunged among the litter of papers upon the sofa.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was an old Roman bath in those days at the bottom of one of the streets out of the Strand—it may be there still—in which I have had many a cold plunge.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The weight upon my spirit was sensibly lightened as I plunged yet deeper in the ravine of Arve.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Today, those numbers have plunged to 2,000.

(Overhunting of large animals has catastrophic effects on trees, NSF)

Gun in hand, he plunged into the underbrush that lined the side of the trail.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I’ll plunge into the matter without further preamble.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

New images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope show a spiral galaxy being stripped of its gas as it plunges toward the cluster’s center.

(Hubble Sees Plunging Galaxy Losing Its Gas, NASA)

The plunge of our anchor sent up clouds of birds wheeling and crying over the woods, but in less than a minute they were down again and all was once more silent.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Holmes plunged his eager hand into it and drew it out with a bitter snarl of anger and disappointment.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

During its plunge, Cassini will transmit data about the atmosphere's composition until its signal is lost.

(Over Saturn's Turbulent North, NASA)