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dive

v. · n.
US //ˈdaɪv// UK //dˈaɪv// dive
Irregular verb past dived / dove (US) past participle dived
  1. 1 to jump into water (v.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    to jump into water with your head and arms going in first.

    to plunge headfirst into water, typically from a height or a diving board.

    Example

    The children spent the whole afternoon diving into the hotel pool.

    Example

    The athlete executed a perfect somersault before diving into the water with barely a splash.
  2. 2 to swim underwater (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to swim deep under the surface of the water, often using special equipment.

    to swim or remain under the surface of a body of water, often with breathing apparatus.

    Example

    We want to dive near the coral reef to see the tropical fish.

    Example

    They planned to dive to the wreck of the sunken ship, which lay thirty metres below the surface.
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  1. 3 to drop quickly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Aviation

    to move down very fast, like a bird, a plane, or even a price.

    to descend or fall steeply and rapidly, used of physical objects or abstract values like prices.

    Example

    The hawk suddenly dived from the sky to catch a mouse.

    Example

    Stock prices dived following the news of the company's unexpected quarterly losses.
  2. 4 to start with energy (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to start doing something with a lot of interest and energy.

    to begin an activity or task with great enthusiasm or without hesitation; often used with 'in' or 'into'.

    Example

    I'm ready to dive into this new project and get to work.

    Example

    Without waiting for instructions, the new intern dived into the data and found the error within minutes.
    • plunge into
    • rush into
  3. 5 a jump into water (n.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    an act of jumping into water head-first.

    an instance of plunging headfirst into water.

    Example

    His first dive of the competition earned him a very high score.

    Example

    The judge noted that the diver's entry into the water was slightly angled during his final dive.
  4. 6 a seedy bar (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang

    a cheap bar or club that is not very clean or respectable.

    a disreputable or shabby bar, nightclub, or similar establishment.

    Example

    It looks like a dive from the outside, but they serve the best burgers in town.

    Example

    The private investigator met his contact in a dimly lit dive on the edge of the waterfront.

    Usage

    Often used with the word 'bar' as in 'dive bar'.
  5. 7 faking a foul (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Sport

    in sports, when a player falls down on purpose to try to get a penalty.

    a deliberate fall by a player, intended to deceive the referee into awarding a foul.

    Example

    The referee gave him a yellow card for taking a dive in the penalty area.

    Example

    The replay clearly showed that there was no contact, and the striker had taken a blatant dive to win a penalty.
Etymology 1

From Middle English diven, duven, from the merger of Old English dȳfan (“to dip, immerse”, transitive weak verb) (from Proto-Germanic *dūbijaną) and dūfan (“to duck, dive, sink, penetrate”, intransitive strong verb) (past participle ġedofen). Cognate with Icelandic dýfa (“to dip, dive”), Low German bedaven (“covered, covered with water”). See also deep, dip.

Etymology 2

From Italian dive; see diva.

Word family
Idioms4 entries

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