plunge

1 a brief swim in water [syn: dip]

2 a steep and rapid fall

1 thrust or throw into; "Immerse yourself in hot water" [syn: immerse]

2 drop steeply; "the stock market plunged" [syn: dive, plunk]

3 dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity; "She plunged at it eagerly"

4 begin with vigor; "He launched into a long diatribe"; "She plunged into a dangerous adventure" [syn: launch]

5 cause to be immersed; "The professor plunged his students into the study of the Italian text" [syn: immerse]

6 fall abruptly; "It plunged to the bottom of the well" [syn: dump]

7 immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate; "dip the garment into the cleaning solution"; "dip the brush into the paint" [syn: dunk, dip, souse, douse]

8 engross (oneself) fully; "He immersed himself into his studies" [syn: steep, immerse, engulf, engross, absorb, soak up]

English

Etymology

From plungier (modern: plonger).

Pronunciation

Noun

1. The act of thrusting into or submerging; a dive, leap, rush, or pitch into, or as into, water; as, to take the water with a plunge.
2. Hence, a desperate hazard or act; a state of being submerged or overwhelmed with difficulties.
3. The act of pitching or throwing one's self headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse.
4. Heavy and reckless betting in horse racing; hazardous speculation.

Verb

1. To thrust into water, or into any substance that is penetrable; to immerse; to cause to penetrate or enter quickly and forcibly; to thrust; as, to plunge the body into water; to plunge a dagger into the breast. Also used figuratively; as, to plunge a nation into war.
2. To baptize by immersion.
3. To entangle; to embarrass; to overcome.
4. To thrust or cast one's self into water or other fluid; to submerge one's self; to dive, or to rush in; as, he plunged into the river. Also used figuratively; as, to plunge into debt.
5. To pitch or throw one's self headlong or violently forward, as a horse does.
6. To bet heavily and with seeming recklessness on a race, or other contest; in an extended sense, to risk large sums in hazardous speculations.

Translations

• Spanish: zambullir (1,4)
• Lithuanian: nerti, nardymas

The term Plunge has multiple meanings:

• Plunge (American football), a play in American football
• The Plunge, a closed historic swim center in Richmond California
• Plungė, a city in Lithuania

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