See Also: plunge(medicine)
plunge(1)(dictionary)
plunge(2)(dictionary)
Plunge - General(gambling)
Plunge Around - Poker(gambling)
Plunge team(finance)
plunge 1, verb(dictionary)
plunge 2, noun(dictionary)

plunge(2) (iou)



plunge verb. LME.
[Old French plungier, plongier (mod. plonger) from Latin plumbum lead.]
verb trans. Put, thrust, or throw forcibly or abruptly into or in water etc. or a deep place; immerse completely. Formerly also, baptize by immersion. LME.
E. K. Kane The lance is plunged into the left side. T. H. Huxley You have only to plunge a lighted taper into it.
verb trans. Foll. by into or in: cause (a person) to enter a certain condition or embark on a certain course abruptly or impetuously. LME.
B. Jowett We are plunged..into philosophical discussions. D. Lodge Economic recession..plunged his..colleagues into deep gloom. D. Rowe His father lost his business and plunged the family into poverty.
verb intrans.
a. Throw oneself into water etc.; dive, esp. head first; fall abruptly and involuntarily, esp. from a great height, into a depth. Also, penetrate suddenly into a crowd of people or things, esp. so as to be lost to view. LME.
Dickens He plunged into the thickest portion of the little wood. T. Callender He..plunged head first under the water. Toronto Sun A four-year-old..boy..plunged almost 200 feet from a high-rise balcony.
b. Move with a rush down, into, or out of; move or travel along or on rapidly and clumsily. M19.
R. Kipling He stumbled across the landing and plunged into Torpenhow's room. A. Burgess Panic caused him to plunge down the path.
c. Descend abruptly and steeply; dip suddenly; Geology (of a fold) have an axis that slopes or dips downwards; (of an axis) slope or dip downward. M19.
B. Harte The stage-road that plunged from the terrace..into the valley below. M. Gee The cliffs are magnificent,..the edge of England plunging sheer into the waves.
d. Of profit, monetary value, etc.: diminish rapidly, drop suddenly in value. M20.
Time Inflation was raging..the lira was plunging.
verb trans. Overwhelm, esp. with trouble or difficulty; put in a difficult or awkward position, embarrass. L15-L17.
verb intrans. (Of a horse) start violently forward and downward; (of a ship) pitch. M16.
M. Edgeworth He taught Sawney to rear and plunge, whenever his legs were touched.
verb trans. Sink (a plant, a pot containing a plant) in the ground. M17.
Amateur Gardening Pot up and plunge spring-flowering bulbs.
verb trans. Penetrate and traverse, explore the depths of, by plunging. rare. M17-E18.
verb intrans. Enter into a certain condition or embark on a certain course abruptly or impetuously; involve oneself deeply. L17.
A. Radcliffe It was only to plunge into new errors. B. Jowett We plunge abruptly into the subject of the dialogue.
verb intrans. Of artillery: fire downwards from a higher level. Freq. as plunging ppl adjective. rare. E19.
a. verb intrans. Spend money or bet recklessly; speculate or gamble deeply; run into debt. slang. L19.
M. E. Braddon She has been plunging rather deeply.
b. verb trans. Bet or speculate (a sum of money). colloq. rare. E20.
Joyce Boylan plunged two quid on my tip.
verb trans. Release (signals, points, etc.) on a railway by depressing a plunger. E20.
plunging ppl adjective that plunges;
plunging neckline = plunge neckline s.v. PLUNGE noun: M16.
plungingly adverb L19.