plunge

Meanings

Verb

• To thrust into liquid, or into any penetrable substance; to immerse.
• To cast, stab or throw into some thing, state, condition or action.
• To baptize by immersion.
• To dive, leap or rush (into water or some liquid); to submerge oneself.
• To fall or rush headlong into some thing, action, state or condition.
• To pitch or throw oneself headlong or violently forward, as a horse does.
• To bet heavily and recklessly; to risk large sums in gambling.
• To entangle or embarrass (mostly used in past participle).
• To overwhelm, overpower.

Noun

• the act of plunging or submerging
• a dive, leap, rush, or pitch into (into water)
• A swimming pool
• the act of pitching or throwing oneself headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse
• heavy and reckless betting in horse racing; hazardous speculation
• an immersion in difficulty, embarrassment, or distress; the condition of being surrounded or overwhelmed; a strait; difficulty

Origin

• From Middle English plungen, ploungen, Anglo-Norman plungier, from Old French plongier, (Modern French plonger), from unattested Late Latin frequentative *plumbicō, from plumbum. Compare plumb, plounce.