Adjacent Words

Plunge definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PLUNGE, v.t.
1. To thrust into water or other fluid substance, or into any substance that is penetrable; to immerse in a fluid; to drive into flesh, mire or earth, etc.; as, to plunge the body in water; to plunge the arm into fire or flame; to plunge a dagger into the breast.
2. To thrust or drive into any state in which the thing is considered as enveloped or surrounded; as, to plunge one's self into difficulties or distress; to plunge a nation into war.
3. To baptize by immersion.
PLUNGE, v.i. To pitch; to thrust or drive one's self into water or a fluid; to dive or to rush in. He plunged into the river.
The troops plunged into the stream.
His courser plung'd,
And threw him off; the waves whelm'd over him.
1. To fall or rush into distress or any state or circumstances in which the person or thing is enveloped, inclosed or overwhelmed; as, to plunge into a gulf; to plunge into debt or embarrassments; to plunge into war; a body of cavalry plunged into the midst of the enemy.
2. To pitch or throw one's self headlong.
PLUNGE, n. The act of thrusting into water or any penetrable substance.
1. Difficulty; strait; distress; a state of being surrounded or overwhelmed with difficulties.
People when put to a plunge, cry out to heaven for help.
And wilt thou not reach out a friendly arm,
To raise me from amidst this plunge of sorrow?
[In this sense, the word is now little used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a brief swim in water [syn: dip, plunge]
2: a steep and rapid fall v
1: thrust or throw into; "Immerse yourself in hot water" [syn: immerse, plunge]
2: drop steeply; "the stock market plunged" [syn: dive, plunge, 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: plunge, launch]
5: cause to be immersed; "The professor plunged his students into the study of the Italian text" [syn: plunge, immerse]
6: fall abruptly; "It plunged to the bottom of the well" [syn: plunge, 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, plunge, douse]
8: devote (oneself) fully to; "He immersed himself into his studies" [syn: steep, immerse, engulf, plunge, engross, absorb, soak up]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (plunged; plunging) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French plunger, from Vulgar Latin *plumbicare, from Latin plumbum lead Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to cause to penetrate or enter quickly and forcibly into something <plunged the dagger> 2. to cause to enter a state or course of action usually suddenly, unexpectedly, or violently <plunged the nation into economic depression> intransitive verb 1. to thrust or cast oneself into or as if into water 2. a. to become pitched or thrown headlong or violently forward and downward; also to move oneself in such a manner <plunged off the embankment> b. to act with reckless haste ; enter suddenly or unexpectedly <plunges into project after project> c. to bet or gamble heavily and recklessly 3. to descend or dip suddenly <the stock's value plunged> II. noun Date: 15th century an act or instance of plunging ; dive; also swim

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 (usu. foll. by in, into) a tr. thrust forcefully or abruptly. b intr. dive; propel oneself forcibly. c intr. & tr. enter or cause to enter a certain condition or embark on a certain course abruptly or impetuously (they plunged into a lively discussion; the room was plunged into darkness). 2 tr. immerse completely. 3 intr. a move suddenly and dramatically downward. b (foll. by down, into, etc.) move with a rush (plunged down the stairs). c diminish rapidly (share prices have plunged). 4 intr. (of a horse) start violently forward. 5 intr. (of a ship) pitch. 6 intr. colloq. gamble heavily; run into debt. --n. a plunging action or movement; a dive. Phrases and idioms: plunging (or plunge) neckline a low-cut neckline. take the plunge colloq. commit oneself to a (usu. risky) course of action. Etymology: ME f. OF plungier ult. f. L plumbum plummet

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plunge Plunge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plunged; p. pr. & vb. n. Plunging.] [OE. ploungen, OF. plongier, F. plonger, fr. (assumed) LL. plumbicare, fr. L. plumbum lead. See Plumb.] 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. ``To plunge the boy in pleasing sleep.'' --Dryden. Bound and plunged him into a cell. --Tennyson. We shall be plunged into perpetual errors. --I. Watts. 2. To baptize by immersion. 3. To entangle; to embarrass; to overcome. [Obs.] Plunged and graveled with three lines of Seneca. --Sir T. Browne.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plunge Plunge, v. i. 1. 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. Forced to plunge naked in the raging sea. --Dryden. To plunge into guilt of a murther. --Tillotson. 2. To pitch or throw one's self headlong or violently forward, as a horse does. Some wild colt, which . . . flings and plunges. --Bp. Hall. 3. To bet heavily and with seeming recklessness on a race, or other contest; in an extended sense, to risk large sums in hazardous speculations. [Cant] Plunging fire (Gun.), firing directed upon an enemy from an elevated position.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plunge Plunge, n. 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. [R.] She was brought to that plunge, to conceal her husband's murder or accuse her son. --Sir P. Sidney. And with thou not reach out a friendly arm, To raise me from amidst this plunge of sorrows? --Addison. 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. [Cant] Plunge bath, an immersion by plunging; also, a large bath in which the bather can wholly immerse himself. Plunge, or plunging, battery (Elec.), a voltaic battery so arranged that the plates can be plunged into, or withdrawn from, the exciting liquid at pleasure.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plunge Plunge, n. 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. [R.] She was brought to that plunge, to conceal her husband's murder or accuse her son. --Sir P. Sidney. And with thou not reach out a friendly arm, To raise me from amidst this plunge of sorrows? --Addison. 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. [Cant] Plunge bath, an immersion by plunging; also, a large bath in which the bather can wholly immerse himself. Plunge, or plunging, battery (Elec.), a voltaic battery so arranged that the plates can be plunged into, or withdrawn from, the exciting liquid at pleasure.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(plunges, plunging, plunged) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If something or someone plunges in a particular direction, especially into water, they fall, rush, or throw themselves in that direction. At least 50 people died when a bus plunged into a river... VERB: V prep/adv • Plunge is also a noun. ...a plunge into cold water. N-COUNT: usu sing 2. If you plunge an object into something, you push it quickly or violently into it. A soldier plunged a bayonet into his body... I plunged in my knife and fork. VERB: V n into n, V n with in 3. If a person or thing is plunged into a particular state or situation, or if they plunge into it, they are suddenly in that state or situation. The government's political and economic reforms threaten to plunge the country into chaos... Eddy finds himself plunged into a world of brutal violence... The economy is plunging into recession. VERB: V n into n, V-ed, V into n • Plunge is also a noun. That peace often looked like a brief truce before the next plunge into war. N-COUNT: usu sing, N into n 4. If you plunge into an activity or are plunged into it, you suddenly get very involved in it. The two men plunged into discussion... The prince should be plunged into work... Take the opportunity to plunge yourself into your career. VERB: V into n, be V-ed into n, V pron-refl into n • Plunge is also a noun. His sudden plunge into the field of international diplomacy is a major surprise. N-COUNT: usu sing, N into n 5. If an amount or rate plunges, it decreases quickly and suddenly. His weight began to plunge... The Pound plunged to a new low on the foreign exchange markets yesterday... Shares have plunged from £17 to £7.55... The bank's profits plunged by 87 per cent... Its net profits plunged 73% last year. = plummet VERB: V, V to n, V from/to amount, V by amount, V amount • Plunge is also a noun. Japan's banks are in trouble because of bad loans and the stock market plunge. N-COUNT 6. see also plunging 7. If you take the plunge, you decide to do something that you consider difficult or risky. If you have been thinking about buying shares, now could be the time to take the plunge. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Immerse, submerge, dip, souse, douse, put under water (or other liquid). II. v. n. Dive, pitch, thrust one's self, cast one's self. III. n. Dive, dip, ducking.

Moby Thesaurus

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