Plunge

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Plunge, v. t. [OE. ploungen, OF. plongier, F. plonger, fr. (assumed) LL. plumbicare, fr. L. plumbum lead. See Plumb.].

•  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.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

  "Bound and plunged him into a cell."  [1913 Webster]

  "We shall be plunged into perpetual errors."  [1913 Webster]
•  To baptize by immersion.  [1913 Webster]
•  To entangle; to embarrass; to overcome.  [1913 Webster]

  "Plunged and graveled with three lines of Seneca."  [1913 Webster]

Plunge, v. i. 

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Forced to plunge naked in the raging sea."  [1913 Webster]

  "To plunge into guilt of a murther."  [1913 Webster]
•  To pitch or throw one's self headlong or violently forward, as a horse does.  [1913 Webster]

  "Some wild colt, which . . . flings and plunges."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bet heavily and with seeming recklessness on a race, or other contest; in an extended sense, to risk large sums in hazardous speculations.  [1913 Webster]

Plunging fire (Gun.), firing directed upon an enemy from an elevated position.

Plunge, n. 

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, a desperate hazard or act; a state of being submerged or overwhelmed with difficulties.  [1913 Webster]

  "She was brought to that plunge, to conceal her husband's murder or accuse her son."  [1913 Webster]

  "And with thou not reach out a friendly arm,
  To raise me from amidst this plunge of sorrows?"  [1913 Webster]
•  The act of pitching or throwing one's self headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse.  [1913 Webster]
•  Heavy and reckless betting in horse racing; hazardous speculation.  [1913 Webster]

Plunge bath, an immersion by plunging; also, a large bath in which the bather can wholly immerse himself. -- Plunge battery, or plunging battery (Elec.), a voltaic battery so arranged that the plates can be plunged into, or withdrawn from, the exciting liquid at pleasure.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Plunge, 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.

Idiom

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

THESAURUS

Plunge

abate, ablate, advance, agiotage, ante, ante up, arbitrage, ascend, back, back up, bate, be caught short, be eaten away, be short, beat down, belong, bet, bet on, blunder, boil, break, bucket, bucketshop, budge, bundle, burst, burst of speed, bustle, buy in, buy into, buying in, calculated risk, call, canter, careen, career, cascade, catabasis, cataract, chance, change, change place, charge, chase, cheapen, cheapening, circle, climb, collapse, come down, consume, consume away, corrode, cover, crash, cropper, crowd, crumble, culbute, cut, cut prices, dash, dash off, dash on, dead run, deceleration, declension, decline, decline and fall, decrease, decrescendo, deflate, deflation, deliquesce, deposit margin, depreciate, depreciation, descend, descent, devaluate, devaluation, die away, dig, diminish, diminuendo, dip, dip down, dive, dive into, dogtrot, double-time, down, downtrend, downturn, drive, drop, drop down, drop off, dwindle, dwindling, ebb, engulf, equity capital, erode, fade, fall, fall away, fall down, fall headlong, fall in price, fall off, falter, festinate, financier, flank speed, flat-out speed, flier, fling, flop, flounce, flounder, flow, flutter, forced draft, forced landing, fortune, full gallop, gallop, gamble, get going, get moving, get over, give way, go, go around, go down, go downhill, go long, go off half-cocked, go round, go sideways, gravitate, gyrate, hand gallop, hasten, hazard, head, header, headlong rush, heave, heavy right foot, high lope, hobbyhorse, hold on, hurry, hurry on, hurry through, hurry up, hurry-scurry, hustle, immerse, immersion, incline, invest, invest in, investment, jew down, jog trot, keel over, labor, languish, lapse, lay, lay a wager, lay down, lay out money, lead, lean, leap, lessen, let up, liquidation, lope, lose altitude, lose no time, lower, lowering, luck, lunge, lurch, make a bet, make a killing, make a scoop, make an investment, make haste, make heavy weather, margin up, mark down, markdown, maximum speed, meet a bet, melt away, miss the market, mount, move, move over, move quickly, natatorium, nose dive, nose-dive, nosedive, open throttle, operate, overstay the market, overwhelm, parachute, pare, parlay, pass, pitch, pitch and plunge, pitch and toss, place, play, play against, play the market, plop, plow back into, plummet, plummeting, plump, plunge bath, plunge headlong, plunge into, plunk, point, pool, post, pounce, pounce on, pounce upon, pound, pour down, pratfall, precipitate, press on, price cut, price fall, price reduction, prime investment, profit taking, progress, propel, punt, push, push on, put, pyramid, race, rain, ram, rear, reduce, reduction, reel, regress, reinvest, remission, retreat, retrogress, rise, risk, rock, roll, rotate, round trade, run, run low, rush, rush into, rush through, sag, scalp, scalping, scamper, scend, scoop the market, scramble, scud, scurry, scuttle, see, seethe, settle, shave, shift, shove, shrink, sink, sink money in, skid, skin-dive, sky-dive, slash, slowdown, slump, soar, sound, speculate, speculation, spill, spin, spot sale, sprawl, sprint, spurt, stab, stag, stag the market, stagger, stake, stand pat, stick, stir, stockjobbery, stockjobbing, stoop, stream, struggle, stumble, submerge, submersion, subside, subsidence, sway, swimming bath, swimming hole, swimming pool, swing, swoop, swoop down, tail off, take a flier, take a header, tear, tend, tend to go, thrash about, thrust, topple, toss, toss and tumble, toss and turn, totter, trade on margin, travel, trend downward, trim, trip, trot, tumble, turn, uncertainty, venture, venture capital, volutation, wading pool, wager, wallop, wallow, wane, waste, waste away, wear, wear away, welter, whirl, wide-open speed, yaw

ROGET THESAURUS

Plunge

Haste

VB haste, hasten, make haste, make a dash, hurry on, dash on, whip on, push on, press on, press forward, hurry, skurry, scuttle along, barrel along, bundle on, dart to and fro, bustle, flutter, scramble, plunge, plunge headlong, dash off, rush, express, bestir oneself, lose no time, lose not a moment, lose not an instant, make short work of, make the best of one's time, make the best of one's way, be precipitate, jump at, be in haste, be in a hurry, have no time, have not a moment to lose, have not a moment to spare, work against time, quicken, accelerate, expedite, put on, precipitate, urge, whip, railroad.

Revolution

N revolution, bouleversement, subversion, break up, destruction, sudden change, radical change, sweeping organic change, change of state, phase change, quantum leap, quantum jump, clean sweep, coup d'etat, counter revolution, jump, leap, plunge, jerk, start, transilience, explosion, spasm, convulsion, throe, revulsion, storm, earthquake, cataclysm, legerdemain, unrecognizable, revolutionary.

Depth

VB be deep, render deep, deepen, plunge, sound, fathom, plumb, cast the lead, heave the lead, take soundings, make soundings, dig.

Insertion

N insertion, implantation, introduction, insinuation, planting injection, inoculation, importation, infusion, forcible ingress, immersion, submersion, submergence, dip, plunge, bath, interment, clyster, enema, glyster, lavage, lavement, inserted.

VB insert, introduce, intromit, put into, run into, import, inject, interject, infuse, instill, inoculate, impregnate, imbue, imbrue, graft, ingraft, bud, plant, implant, dovetail, obtrude, thrust in, stick in, ram in, stuff in, tuck in, press, in, drive in, pop in, whip in, drop in, put in, impact, empierce, imbed, immerse, immerge, merge, bathe, soak, dip, plunge, bury, insert itself, lodge itself, plunge in medias res.

Descent

N descent, descension, declension, declination, fall, falling, slump, drop, plunge, plummet, cadence, subsidence, collapse, lapse, downfall, tumble, slip, tilt, trip, lurch, cropper, culbute, titubation, stumble, fate of Icarus, avalanche, debacle, landslip, landslide, declivity, dip, hill, rappel, descending, descendent, decurrent, decursive, labent, deciduous, nodding to its fall, downhill, downwards, the bottom fell out.

VB descend, go down, drop down, come down, fall, gravitate, drop, slip, slide, rappel, settle, plunge, plummet, crash, decline, set, sink, droop, come down a peg, slump, dismount, alight, light, get down, swoop, stoop, fall prostrate, precipitate oneself, let fall, tumble, trip, stumble, titubate, lurch, pitch, swag, topple, topple over, tumble over, topple down, tumble down, tilt, sprawl, plump down, come down a cropper.

Plunge

N plunge, dip, dive, header, ducking, diver.

VB plunge, dip, souse, duck, dive, plump, take a plunge, take a header, make a plunge, bathe, submerge, submerse, immerse, douse, sink, engulf, send to the bottom, get out of one's depth, go to the bottom, go down like a stone, drop like a lead balloon, founder, welter, wallow.

Water

VB be watery, reek, add water, water, wet, moisten, dilute, dip, immerse, merge, immerge, submerge, plunge, souse, duck, drown, soak, steep, macerate, pickle, wash, sprinkle, lave, bathe, affuse, splash, swash, douse, drench, dabble, slop, slobber, irrigate, inundate, deluge, syringe, inject, gargle.