plunge
v.v. to fall or move down very quickly and with a lot of force. You can use it to talk about a person jumping into water or a price dropping suddenly.
v. to fall or move forward and downward rapidly and with force; to experience a sudden and significant decrease in value or amount. Often used metaphorically in financial contexts to describe market volatility.
The stock market began to plunge after the news broke.
The swimmer took a deep breath and prepared to plunge into the icy lake for her morning exercise.
Economists warned that if the central bank failed to intervene, the currency would continue to plunge against the dollar, destabilising the nation's import-dependent industries.
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.
Back-formation from plunger.
The verb can be used both transitively and intransitively; when used with an object, it often takes the preposition 'into'.
The prices plunged down yesterday.The prices plunged yesterday.Plunge already implies downward movement, so adding 'down' is redundant.
- 01
bus plunge
A phrase often used in filler story headlines in print newspapers, prior to the adoption of computer-aided typesetting and publishing methods, as it filled out the usual width of a column in the eight-column layout then prevalent in the industry.
- 02
plunge in
To start a new endeavor enthusiastically and wholeheartedly, though possibly without experience.
- 03
take the plunge
To begin any major commitment.