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plunge

Pronunciation: /plʌnd͡ʒ/

The English word “plunge” has 16 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. To thrust into liquid, or into any penetrable substance; to immerse.
  2. To cast, stab or throw deep and fast into some thing, state, condition or action.
  3. To baptize by immersion.
  4. To dive, leap or rush (into water or some liquid); to submerge oneself.
  5. To fall or rush headlong into some thing, action, state or condition.
  6. To pitch or throw oneself headlong or violently forward, as a horse does.
  7. To bet heavily and recklessly; to risk large sums in gambling.
  8. To entangle or embarrass (mostly used in past participle).
  9. To overwhelm, overpower.
  10. To remove a blockage by suction.

noun

  1. The act of plunging or submerging.
  2. A dive, leap, rush, or pitch into (into water).
  3. A swimming pool.
  4. The act of pitching or throwing oneself headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse.
  5. Heavy and reckless betting in horse racing; hazardous speculation.
  6. An immersion in difficulty, embarrassment, or distress; the condition of being surrounded or overwhelmed; a strait; difficulty.

Etymology

From Middle English plungen, ploungen, Anglo-Norman plungier, from Old French plongier, (Modern French plonger), from unattested Late Latin frequentative *plumbicō (“to throw a leaded line”), from plumbum (“lead”). Compare plumb, plounce.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.