dive

[dahyv]

verb (used without object)

dived, dove, dived, diving. 

1. to plunge into water, especially headfirst.

2. to go below the surface of the water, as a submarine.

3. to plunge, fall, or descend through the air, into the earth, etc..

   The acrobats dived into nets.

4. Aeronautics.,  (of an airplane) to descend rapidly.

5. to penetrate suddenly into something, as with the hand.

   to dive into one's purse.

6. to dart.

   to dive into a doorway.

7. to enter deeply or plunge into a subject, activity, etc.

verb (used with object)

dived, dove, dived, diving. 

1. to cause to plunge, submerge, or descend.

2. to insert quickly; plunge.

   He dived his hand into his pocket.

noun

1. an act or instance of diving.

2. a jump or plunge into water, especially in a prescribed way from a diving board.

3. the vertical or nearly vertical descent of an airplane at a speed surpassing the possible speed of the same plane in level flight.

4. a submerging, as of a submarine or skin diver.

5. a dash, plunge, or lunge, as if throwing oneself at or into something.

   He made a dive for the football.

6. a sudden or sharp decline, as in stock prices.

7. Slang.

   1. a dingy or disreputable bar or nightclub.

      Grab a beer with some locals at the dive on the corner.

   2. any shabby, run-down place, especially a residence.

8. Boxing.,  a false show of being knocked out, usually in a bout whose result has been prearranged.

   to take a dive in an early round.

9. Also called simulated contact. Soccer.,  a dramatic fall or feigned injury intended to persuade officials to penalize the opposing team.

   His dive fooled the ref into giving his team a free kick.

dive

/ daɪv /

verb

1. to plunge headfirst into water

2. (of a submarine, swimmer, etc) to submerge under water

3. (also tr) to fly (an aircraft) in a steep nose-down descending path, or (of an aircraft) to fly in such a path

4. to rush, go, or reach quickly, as in a headlong plunge

   he dived for the ball

5. (also tr; foll by in or into) to dip or put (one's hand) quickly or forcefully (into)

   to dive into one's pocket

6. to involve oneself (in something), as in eating food

7. slang,  soccer (of a footballer) to pretend to have been tripped or impeded by an opposing player in order to win a free kick or penalty

noun

1. a headlong plunge into water, esp one of several formalized movements executed as a sport

2. an act or instance of diving

3. a steep nose-down descent of an aircraft

4. slang,  a disreputable or seedy bar or club

5. slang,  boxing the act of a boxer pretending to be knocked down or out

   he took a dive in the fourth round

6. slang,  soccer the act of a player pretending to have been tripped or impeded

Usage

Both dived and dove are standard as the past tense of dive. Dived, historically the older form, is somewhat more common in edited writing, but dove occurs there so frequently that it also must be considered standard: The rescuer dove into 20 feet of icy water. Dove is an Americanism that probably developed by analogy with alternations like drive, drove and ride, rode. It is the more common form in speech in the northern United States and in Canada, and its use seems to be spreading. The past participle of dive is always dived.

Other Word Forms

• postdive adjective
• predive adjective
• underdive verb (used without object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of dive¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English diven “to dive, dip,” Old English dȳfan “to dip” (causative of dūfan “to dive, sink”); cognate with Old Norse dȳfa “to dip,” German taufen “to baptize”; akin to dip ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of dive¹

Old English dӯfan; related to Old Norse dӯfa to dip, Frisian dīvi; see _deep , _dip

Example Sentences

The last deadly shark attack in the Sydney area in 2022, when Simon Nellist - a British diving instructor - was mauled by a great white shark.

From BBC

But the humor of an editorial cartoon is what kept people peering over the edge, instead of diving in.

From Salon

Gough: The thing is, if your first boyfriend turns out to be a monster, there was never going to be like, “Oh, I can’t wait to dive back into a romance” idea.

From Los Angeles Times

Not to dive too deep into the convoluted immigration system, but these are civilian legal positions, another possible violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, VanLandingham points out.

From Los Angeles Times

Intrigued, the French writer dives into a rabbit hole and discovers the name belongs to a member of the French Resistance.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dip 
• disappear 
• drop 
• duck 
• fall 
• jump 
• leap 
• lunge 
• nose-dive 
• plummet 
• plunge 
• swoop 
• vanish 
• vault