Adjacent Words

Sink definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SINK, v. i. pret. sunk; pp. id. The old pret. sank is nearly obsolete.
1. To fall by the force of greater gravity, in a medium or substance of less specific gravity; to subside; opposed to swim or float. Some species of wood or timber will sink in water. Oil will not sink in water and many other liquids, for it is specifically lighter. I sink in deep mire. Psalms 69.
2. To fall gradually. He sunk down in his chariot, II Kings 9.
3. To enter or penetrate into any body. The stone sunk into his forehead. I Sam. 17.
4. To fall; to become lower; to subside or settle to a level. The Alps and Pyrenees sink before him.
5. To be overwhelmed or depressed. Our country sinks beneath the yoke.
6. To enter deeply; to be impressed. Let these sayings sink down into your ears. Luke 9.
7. To become deep; to retire or fall within the surface of any thing; as, the eyes sink into the head.
8. To fall; to decline; to decay; to decrease. A free state gradually sinks into ruin. It is the duty of government to revive a sinking commerce. Let not the fire sink or slacken.
9. To fall into rest or indolence; as, to sink away in pleasing dreams.
10. To be lower; to fall; as, the price of land will sink in time of peace.
SINK, v.t.
1. To put under water; to immerse in a fluid; as, to sink a ship.
2. To make by digging or delving; as, to sink a pit or a well.
3. To depress; to degrade. His vices sink him in infamy, or in public estimation.
4. To plunge into destruction. If I have a conscience, let it sink me.
5. To cause to fall or to be plunged.
6. To bring low; to reduce in quantity. You sunk the river with repeated draughts.
7. To depress; to overbear; to crush. This would sink the spirit of a hero.
8. To diminish; to lower or lessen; to degrade. I mean not that we should sink our figure out of covetousness.
9. To cause to decline or fail. Thy cruel and unnat'ral lust of power has sunk thy father more than all his years.
10. To suppress; to conceal; to intervert. If sent with ready money to buy any thing, and you happen to be out of pocket, sink the money, and take up the goods on account. [Unusual.]
11. To depress to lower in value or amount. Great importations may sink the price of goods.
12. To reduce; to pay; to diminish or annihilate by payment; as, to sink the nation debt.
13. To waste; to dissipate; as, to sink an estate.
SINK, n.
1. A drain to carry off filthy water; a jakes.
2. A kind of bason of stone or wood to receive filthy water.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: plumbing fixture consisting of a water basin fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe
2: (technology) a process that acts to absorb or remove energy or a substance from a system; "the ocean is a sink for carbon dioxide" [ant: source]
3: a depression in the ground communicating with a subterranean passage (especially in limestone) and formed by solution or by collapse of a cavern roof [syn: sinkhole, sink, swallow hole]
4: a covered cistern; waste water and sewage flow into it [syn: cesspool, cesspit, sink, sump] v
1: fall or descend to a lower place or level; "He sank to his knees" [syn: sink, drop, drop down]
2: cause to sink; "The Japanese sank American ships in Pearl Harbor"
3: pass into a specified state or condition; "He sank into nirvana" [syn: sink, pass, lapse]
4: go under, "The raft sank and its occupants drowned" [syn: sink, settle, go down, go under] [ant: float, swim]
5: descend into or as if into some soft substance or place; "He sank into bed"; "She subsided into the chair" [syn: sink, subside]
6: appear to move downward; "The sun dipped below the horizon"; "The setting sun sank below the tree line" [syn: dip, sink]
7: fall heavily or suddenly; decline markedly; "The real estate market fell off" [syn: slump, fall off, sink]
8: fall or sink heavily; "He slumped onto the couch"; "My spirits sank" [syn: slump, slide down, sink]
9: embed deeply; "She sank her fingers into the soft sand"; "He buried his head in her lap" [syn: bury, sink]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (sank or sunk; sunk; sinking) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sincan; akin to Old High German sinkan to sink Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. a. to go to the bottom ; submerge b. to become partly buried (as in mud) c. to become engulfed 2. a. (1) to fall or drop to a lower place or level (2) to flow at a lower depth or level (3) to burn with lower intensity (4) to fall to a lower pitch or volume <his voice sank to a whisper> b. to subside gradually ; settle c. to disappear from view d. to slope gradually ; dip 3. a. to soak or become absorbed ; penetrate b. to become impressively known or felt <the lesson had sunk in> 4. to become deeply absorbed <sank into reverie> 5. a. to go downward in quality, state, or condition b. to grow less in amount or worth 6. a. to fall or drop slowly for lack of strength b. to become depressed c. to fail in health or strength; broadly fail transitive verb 1. a. to cause to sink <sink a battleship> b. to force down especially below the earth's surface c. to cause (something) to penetrate 2. immerse, absorb <he sank himself into his studies> 3. a. to dig or bore (a well or shaft) in the earth ; excavate b. to form by cutting or excising <sink words in stone> 4. to cast down or bring to a low condition or state ; overwhelm, defeat 5. to lower in standing or reputation ; abase 6. a. to lessen in value or amount b. to lower or soften (the voice) in speaking 7. restrain, suppress <sinks her pride and approaches the despised neighbor — Richard Harrison> 8. to pay off (as a debt) ; liquidate 9. invest 1 10. drop 7c <sink a putt> <sink a jump shot> 11. chiefly British to drink down completely • sinkable adjective II. noun Date: 15th century 1. a. a pool or pit for the deposit of waste or sewage ; cesspool b. a ditch or tunnel for carrying off sewage ; sewer c. a stationary basin connected with a drain and usually a water supply for washing and drainage 2. a place where vice, corruption, or evil collects 3. sump 3 4. a. a depression in the land surface; especially one having a saline lake with no outlet b. sinkhole 5. a body or process that acts as a storage device or disposal mechanism: as a. heat sink; broadly a device that collects or dissipates energy (as radiation) b. a reactant with or absorber of a substance <forests are a sink for carbon dioxide>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. (past sank or sunk; past part. sunk or sunken) 1 intr. fall or come slowly downwards. 2 intr. disappear below the horizon (the sun is sinking). 3 intr. a go or penetrate below the surface esp. of a liquid. b (of a ship) go to the bottom of the sea etc. 4 intr. settle down comfortably (sank into a chair). 5 intr. a gradually lose strength or value or quality etc.; decline (my heart sank). b (of the voice) descend in pitch or volume. c (of a sick person) approach death. 6 tr. send (a ship) to the bottom of the sea etc. 7 tr. cause or allow to sink or penetrate (sank its teeth into my leg). 8 tr. cause the failure of (a plan etc.) or the discomfiture of (a person). 9 tr. dig (a well) or bore (a shaft). 10 tr. engrave (a die) or inlay (a design). 11 tr. a invest (money) (sunk a large sum into the business). b lose (money) by investment. 12 tr. a cause (a ball) to enter a pocket in billiards, a hole at golf, etc. b achieve this by (a stroke). 13 tr. overlook or forget; keep in the background (sank their differences). 14 intr. (of a price etc.) become lower. 15 intr. (of a storm or river) subside. 16 intr. (of ground) slope down, or reach a lower level by subsidence. 17 intr. (foll. by on, upon) (of darkness) descend (on a place). 18 tr. lower the level of. 19 tr. (usu. in passive; foll. by in) absorb; hold the attention of (be sunk in thought). --n. 1 a fixed basin with a water-supply and outflow pipe. 2 a place where foul liquid collects. 3 a place of vice or corruption. 4 a pool or marsh in which a river's water disappears by evaporation or percolation. 5 Physics a body or process used to absorb or dissipate heat. 6 (in full sink-hole) Geol. a cavity in limestone etc. into which a stream etc. disappears. Phrases and idioms: sink in 1 penetrate or make its way in. 2 become gradually comprehended (paused to let the words sink in). sinking feeling a bodily sensation caused by hunger or apprehension. sinking fund money set aside for the gradual repayment of a debt. sink or swim even at the risk of complete failure (determined to try, sink or swim). sunk fence a fence formed by, or along the bottom of, a ditch. Derivatives: sinkable adj. sinkage n. Etymology: OE sincan f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sink Sink (s[i^][ng]k), n. The lowest part of a natural hollow or closed basin whence the water of one or more streams escapes by evaporation; as, the sink of the Humboldt River. [Western U. S.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sink Sink, v. t. 1. To cause to sink; to put under water; to immerse or submerge in a fluid; as, to sink a ship. [The Athenians] fell upon the wings and sank a single ship. --Jowett (Thucyd.). 2. Figuratively: To cause to decline; to depress; to degrade; hence, to ruin irretrievably; to destroy, as by drowping; as, to sink one's reputation. I raise of sink, imprison or set free. --Prior. If I have a conscience, let it sink me. --Shak. Thy cruel and unnatural lust of power Has sunk thy father more than all his years. --Rowe. 3. To make (a depression) by digging, delving, or cutting, etc.; as, to sink a pit or a well; to sink a die. 4. To bring low; to reduce in quantity; to waste. You sunk the river repeated draughts. --Addison. 5. To conseal and appropriate. [Slang] If sent with ready money to buy anything, and you happen to be out of pocket, sink the money, and take up the goods on account. --Swift. 6. To keep out of sight; to suppress; to ignore. A courtly willingness to sink obnoxious truths. --Robertson. 7. To reduce or extinguish by payment; as, to sink the national debt.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sink Sink, v. i. [imp. Sunk, or (Sank); p. p. Sunk (obs. Sunken, -- now used as adj.); p. pr. & vb. n. Sinking.] [OE. sinken, AS. sincan; akin to D. zinken, OS. sincan, G. sinken, Icel. s["o]kkva, Dan. synke, Sw. sjunka, Goth. siggan, and probably to E. silt. Cf. Silt.] 1. To fall by, or as by, the force of gravity; to descend lower and lower; to decline gradually; to subside; as, a stone sinks in water; waves rise and sink; the sun sinks in the west. I sink in deep mire. --Ps. lxix. 2. 2. To enter deeply; to fall or retire beneath or below the surface; to penetrate. The stone sunk into his forehead. --1 San. xvii. 49. 3. Hence, to enter so as to make an abiding impression; to enter completely. Let these sayings sink down into your ears. --Luke ix. 44. 4. To be overwhelmed or depressed; to fall slowly, as so the ground, from weakness or from an overburden; to fail in strength; to decline; to decay; to decrease. I think our country sinks beneath the yoke. --Shak. He sunk down in his chariot. --2 Kings ix. 24. Let not the fire sink or slacken. --Mortimer. 5. To decrease in volume, as a river; to subside; to become diminished in volume or in apparent height. The Alps and Pyreneans sink before him. --Addison. Syn: To fall; subside; drop; droop; lower; decline; decay; decrease; lessen.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sink Sink, n. 1. A drain to carry off filthy water; a jakes. 2. A shallow box or vessel of wood, stone, iron, or other material, connected with a drain, and used for receiving filthy water, etc., as in a kitchen. 3. A hole or low place in land or rock, where waters sink and are lost; -- called also sink hole. [U. S.] Sink hole. (a) The opening to a sink drain. (b) A cesspool. (c) Same as Sink, n., 3.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(sinks, sinking, sank, sunk) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A sink is a large fixed container in a kitchen, with taps to supply water. It is mainly used for washing dishes. The sink was full of dirty dishes. ...the kitchen sink. N-COUNT 2. A sink is the same as a washbasin or basin. The bathroom is furnished with 2 toilets, 2 showers, and 2 sinks. N-COUNT 3. If a boat sinks or if someone or something sinks it, it disappears below the surface of a mass of water. In a naval battle your aim is to sink the enemy's ship... The boat was beginning to sink fast... The lifeboat crashed against the side of the sinking ship. VERB: V n, V, V-ing • sinking (sinkings) ...the sinking of the Titanic. N-COUNT 4. If something sinks, it disappears below the surface of a mass of water. A fresh egg will sink and an old egg will float. ? float VERB: V 5. If something sinks, it moves slowly downwards. Far off to the west the sun was sinking... VERB: V 6. If something sinks to a lower level or standard, it falls to that level or standard. Share prices would have sunk–hurting small and big investors... Pay increases have sunk to around seven per cent... The pound had sunk 10 per cent against the Schilling. = fall VERB: V, V to/from/by amount/n, V amount 7. People use sink school or sink estate to refer to a school or housing estate that is in a very poor area with few resources. (BRIT JOURNALISM) ...unemployed teenagers from sink estates... ADJ: ADJ n 8. If your heart or your spirits sink, you become depressed or lose hope. My heart sank because I thought he was going to dump me for another girl... VERB: V 9. If something sharp sinks or is sunk into something solid, it goes deeply into it. I sank my teeth into a peppermint cream... The spade sank into a clump of overgrown bushes. VERB: V n into n, V into n 10. If someone sinks a well, mine, or other large hole, they make a deep hole in the ground, usually by digging or drilling. ...the site where Stephenson sank his first mineshaft... VERB: V n 11. If you sink money into a business or project, you spend money on it in the hope of making more money. He has already sunk $25million into the project. = plough VERB: V n into n 12. see also sinking, sunk 13. If you say that someone will have to sink or swim, you mean that they will have to succeed through their own efforts, or fail. The government doesn't want to force inefficient firms to sink or swim too quickly... to sink without trace: see trace PHRASE

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Fall (gradually), subside, descend, go down, go to the bottom. 2. Fall slowly, drop, droop. 3. Penetrate, enter. 4. Be depressed, be overwhelmed. 5. Decline, decrease, decay, dwindle, lose strength, give way. II. v. a. 1. Merge, submerge, submerse, immerse, engulf. 2. Dig, excavate, scoop out. 3. Depress, degrade, lower, abase, debase, diminish, lessen, bring down, let down. 4. Ruin, destroy, waste, overthrow, over whelm, swamp. 5. Depress, overbear, crush. 6. Reduce, bring low. III. n. Drain, sewer.

Moby Thesaurus

Babylon, Gomorrah, KO, Sodom, abate, ablate, advance, age, alveolation, alveolus, antrum, aquamanile, armpit, ascend, automatic dishwasher, back, back up, ball up, bankrupt, baptize, basin, bate, bath, bathtub, be clobbered, be consumed, be eaten away, be felled, be gone, be lost, be poleaxed, be staggered, be stricken, bear down, beat down, become suicidal, bend, bidet, blow, bog, bollix, bollix up, bore, bowl, break, break down, bring low, brothel, budge, bugger, bugger up, burn out, burrow, bury, bust, buy in, buy into, capsize, cast down, cave, cave in, cavity, cease, cease to be, cease to exist, cesspit, cesspool, change, change place, cheat the undertaker, circle, climb, cloaca, cloaca maxima, collapse, come apart, come down, come to grief, come unstuck, concave, concavity, conk out, consume, consume away, cook, corrode, couch, countersink, crack up, crater, crumble, crypt, cup, damp, dampen, dampen the spirits, darken, dash, debase, decline, decrease, deepen, defeat, degenerate, deject, deliquesce, deluge, delve, dematerialize, demit, den, den of iniquity, depart, depress, depression, descend, despair, despond, deteriorate, detrude, die, die away, die out, dig, dig out, dike, diminish, dip, disappear, discourage, dish, dishearten, dishpan, dishwasher, disimprove, disintegrate, dispel, disperse, dispirit, dissipate, dissolve, dive, do a fade-out, do for, do in, dodder, douse, downbear, drain, dredge, drift away, drill, drive, droop, drop, drop off, drown, duck, dump, dunk, dwindle, ebb, engulf, erode, evanesce, evaporate, ewer, excavate, exit, expire, fade, fade away, fade out, fail, faint, fall, fall away, fall in, fall off, fatigue, financier, finger bowl, fix, fizzle out, flag, flee, fleet, fleshpots, flit, flop, flop down, flow, flump, flump down, fly, fold, follicle, font, foul up, founder, funnel chest, furrow, garbage dump, gasp, get, get along, get on, get over, get through to, get tired, give out, give way, go, go around, go away, go down, go downhill, go off, go round, go sideways, go soft, go to pieces, go to pot, go under, gouge, gouge out, groove, grow old, grow weary, grub, gum up, gutter, gyrate, hash up, haul down, have a comedown, have a mishap, head, headchute, hellhole, hide, hit a slump, hit rock bottom, hit the skids, hole, hollow, hollow shell, immerge, immerse, impoverish, incline, indent, inundate, invest, invest in, jade, joint, keel, keel over, kennel, kitchen sink, knock down, knock out, lacuna, languish, lapse, lavabo, lavatory, lay out money, lead, lean, leave no trace, leave the scene, lessen, let, let down, let up, lose heart, lose strength, louse up, lower, lower oneself, lower the spirits, make an investment, marsh, melt, melt away, melt like snow, merge, mess up, mine, mire, mount, move, move away, move off, move over, muck up, oppress, overset, overturn, overwhelm, pandemonium, pant, pass, pass away, pass out, peak, peg out, penetrate, perish, peter out, pine, piscina, pit, pitchpole, place, play hell with, play hob with, play out, plop, plop down, plow back into, plumb the depths, plummet, plump, plunge, plunge in water, pocket, point, poop out, precipitate, press down, progress, puff, puff and blow, pull away, pull down, punch bowl, push down, put, put down, quagmire, quarry, queer, reach the depths, recede, reduce, register, regress, reinvest, retire, retire from sight, retreat, retrocede, retrograde, retrogress, rise, risk, rot, rotate, ruin, run, run aground, run down, run low, run out, sadden, sag, sap, scoop, scoop out, scrabble, scrape, scratch, screw up, scupper, scuttle, septic tank, set, settle, settle down, sewer, shake, shell, shift, shipwreck, shoot down, shovel, shower, shower bath, shower curtain, shower head, shower room, shower stall, showers, shrink, shrivel, sink away, sink down, sink in, sink like lead, sink money in, sink of corruption, sinkage, sinkhole, sinus, slide, slip, slip away, slouch, sluice, slump, slump down, snafu, snarl up, soar, socket, somersault, sough, souse, spade, speculate, spin, stand off, stir, stoop, stoup, stream, sty, submerge, submerse, subside, succumb, suffer a misfortune, suffer an eclipse, sump, swag, swamp, tail off, take down, tend, tend to go, thrust down, tip over, tire, torpedo, totter, touch bottom, travel, trench, trough, tub, tunnel, turn gray, turn over, turn turtle, turn white, undo, upset, upset the boat, vanish, vanish from sight, venture, vug, wane, wash barrel, wash boiler, washbasin, washbowl, washdish, washer, washing machine, washing pot, washpot, washstand, washtub, waste, waste away, weaken, wear, wear away, wear thin, weary, weigh heavy upon, weigh upon, wheeze, whelm, whirl, widen the distance, wilt, withdraw, wither, wither away, wizen, worsen, wreck, wrinkle, yield