dive

Other forms: diving; dived; dives

To dive is to jump head first into the water. You might dare your friend to dive off a boat into a cold lake.

When you dive, you plunge into a pool or other body of water. A bird or airplane also dives when it descends suddenly. The plunge or drop itself is also a dive: "When the plane went into a dive I had to close my eyes." Since 1871, dive has also been used informally for a low-rent or slightly dangerous bar, possibly from the idea that descending to a basement-level establishment involved a "dive" of sorts.

Definitions of dive

1. noun

   a headlong plunge into water
   synonyms: diving

   types:

   belly flop, belly flopper, belly whop, belly whopper

   a dive in which the abdomen bears the main force of impact with the water

   cliff diving

   diving into the water from a steep overhanging cliff

   flip

   a dive in which the diver somersaults before entering the water

   full gainer, gainer

   a dive in which the diver throws the feet forward to complete a full backward somersault and enters the water feet first and facing away from the diving board

   half gainer

   a dive in which the diver throws the feet forward and up to complete a half backward somersault and enters the water facing the diving board

   jackknife

   a dive in which the diver bends to touch the ankles before straightening out

   swallow dive, swan dive

   a dive in which the diver arches the back with arms outstretched before entering the water

   type of:

   swim, swimming

   the act of swimming
2. noun

   a steep nose-down descent by an aircraft
   synonyms: nose dive, nosedive

   types:

   power dive

   a dive of an airplane that is accelerated both by gravity and by the power of the engine

   type of:

   descent

   the act of changing your location in a downward direction
3. verb

   drop steeply
   synonyms: plunge, plunk

   dump, plunge

   fall abruptly

   types:

   power-dive

   make a power dive

   nosedive

   plunge nose first; drop with the nose or front first, of aircraft

   duck

   submerge or plunge suddenly

   crash-dive

   descend steeply and rapidly

   chute, jump, parachute

   jump from an airplane and descend with a parachute

   sky dive, skydive

   jump from an airplane and perform various maneuvers before opening one's parachute

   type of:

   come down, descend, fall, go down

   move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
4. verb

   plunge into water
   “I was afraid to dive from the board into the pool”

   types:

   belly-flop

   dive so that one hits the water with one's belly

   jackknife

   dive into the water bending the body at the waist at a right angle, like a jackknife

   type of:

   submerge, submerse

   sink below the surface; go under or as if under water
5. verb

   swim under water
   “the children enjoyed diving and looking for shells”

   types:

   skin-dive

   swim underwater with no breathing apparatus other than a snorkel

   snorkel

   dive with a snorkel

   type of:

   swim

   travel through water
6. noun

   a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall
   synonyms: honkytonk

   type of:

   cabaret, club, night club, nightclub, nightspot

   a spot that is open late at night and that provides entertainment (as singers or dancers) as well as dancing and food and drink