dived

Variant of dive

intransitive verb dived or dove, dived, diving

  1. to plunge headfirst into water
  2. to go underwater; submerge, as a submarine or skin diver
  3. to plunge the hand or body suddenly into something: to dive into a foxhole
  4. to bring oneself zestfully or with abandon into something: to dive into one's work
  5. to make a steep, sudden descent or take a sudden drop, as an airplane

Origin: ME diven < OE dyfan, to immerse, caus. of dufan, to dive, akin to ON dȳfa, to plunge, dūfa, a wave < IE base *dheup-, deep

transitive verb

  1. to cause to dive; specif., to send (one's airplane) into a dive
  2. Archaic to explore or penetrate by or as by diving

noun

  1. a plunge into water headfirst; esp., any of various formalized plunges performed as in a competition
  2. any sudden plunge or submersion
  3. a sharp descent or sudden drop, as of an airplane
  4. Informal a cheap, disreputable saloon, gambling place, etc.
  5. Football a play in which a running back carries the ball while plunging directly into the line a short distance away
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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