Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense dives, present participle diving, past tense, past participle divedlanguage note: American English sometimes uses the form dove, pronounced (doʊv), for the past tense.
1. verb
If you dive into some water, you jump in head-first with your arms held straight above your head.
He tried to escape by diving into a river. [VERB + into]
She was standing by a pool, about to dive in.
Joanne had just learnt to dive. [VERB]
Synonyms: plunge, drop, jump, pitch More Synonyms of dive
Dive is also a noun.
Pat had earlier made a dive of 80 feet from the Chasm Bridge.
2. verb
If you dive, you go under the surface of the sea or a lake, using special breathing equipment.
Bezanik is diving to collect marine organisms. [VERB]
Synonyms: go underwater, snorkel, scuba-dive, submerge More Synonyms of dive
Dive is also a noun.
This sighting occurred during my dive to a sunken wreck off Sardinia.
3. verb
When birds and animals dive, they go quickly downwards, head-first, through the air or through water.
...a pelican which had just dived for a fish. [VERB]
The shark dived down and swam under the boat. [VERB adverb/preposition]
4. verb
If an aeroplane dives, it flies or drops down quickly and suddenly.
He was killed when his monoplane stalled and dived into the ground. [VERB preposition/adverb]
[Also VERB]
Synonyms: nose-dive, fall, plunge, crash More Synonyms of dive
Dive is also a noun.
Witnesses said the plane failed to pull out of a dive and smashed down in a field.
5. verb
If you dive in a particular direction or into a particular place, you jump or move there quickly.
They dived into a taxi. [VERB preposition/adverb]
The cashier dived for cover when a gunman opened fire. [VERB preposition/adverb]
He would dive under one obstacle, round another, and lightly step over a third. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: leap, jump, dash, bolt More Synonyms of dive
Dive is also a noun.
He made a sudden dive for Uncle Jim's legs to try to trip him up.
6. verb
If you diveinto a bag or container, you put your hands into it quickly in order to get something out.
She dived into her bag and brought out a folded piece of paper. [VERB + into]
7. verb
If shares, profits, or figures dive, their value falls suddenly and by a large amount.
[journalism]
If we cut interest rates, the pound would dive. [VERB]
Profits have dived from £7.7m to £7.1m. [V + from/to/by]
The shares dived 22p to 338p. [VERB amount]
Dive is also a noun.
Stock prices took a dive.
8. countable noun
If you describe a bar or club as a dive, you mean it is dirty and dark, and not very respectable.
[informal, disapproval]
We've played in all the little pubs and dives around Liverpool.
Synonyms: sleazy bar, joint [slang], nightclub, honky-tonk [US, slang] More Synonyms of dive
More Synonyms of dive
dive in British English
(daɪv)
verbWord forms: dives, diving, divedWord forms: USdove or dived(mainly intr)
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. (usually foll byin or into)
to involve oneself (in something), as in eating food
7. soccer slang
(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
8.
a headlong plunge into water, esp one of several formalized movements executed as a sport
9.
an act or instance of diving
10.
a steep nose-down descent of an aircraft
11. slang
a disreputable or seedy bar or club
12. boxing slang
the act of a boxer pretending to be knocked down or out
he took a dive in the fourth round
13. soccer slang
the act of a player pretending to have been tripped or impeded
Word origin
Old English dӯfan; related to Old Norse dӯfa to dip, Frisian dīvi; see deep, dip
dive in American English
(daɪv)
verb intransitiveWord forms: dived or dove, dived, ˈdiving
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
verb transitive
6.
to cause to dive; specif., to send (one's airplane) into a dive
7. Archaic
to explore or penetrate by or as by diving
noun
8.
a plunge into water headfirst; esp., any of various formalized plunges performedas in a competition
9.
any sudden plunge or submersion
10.
a sharp descent or sudden drop, as of an airplane
11. Informal
a cheap, disreputable saloon, gambling place, etc.
12. American Football
a play in which a running back carries the ball while plunging directly into the line a short distance away
Idioms:
take a dive
Word 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
Examples of 'dive' in a sentence
dive
Rhead went close with a diving header.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
This appears to be a tragic scuba diving accident.
The Sun (2016)
This also coincided with an increase in scuba diving.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He skis in winter and scuba dives in summer.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
No one dived in to save the man as he was caught by a current and pulled under for the last time.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
There are some fantastic scuba diving sites in Cayman.
The Sun (2016)
Next up is scuba diving.
The Sun (2016)
There are three restaurants, and activities on offer include scuba diving, yoga classes and kayaking.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They cannot fly or dive yet and they spend the next few weeks just floating about.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We sip fresh lime juice and a little dove lands on the table.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You would normally expect to see him diving around the stadium next door.
The Sun (2008)
She walked out of her diving club because she felt that she was not getting enough recognition.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It was too dangerous for aspirant pilots to practise a steep dive onto their targets.
Max Hastings Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 194445 (2007)
She quickly dived in a shop and fixed her skirt without needing any sticky back plastic.
The Sun (2009)
They can also dive down in spirals.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Where he really made ground was with his fourth dive.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
If they want dives they should go to the swimming pool.
The Sun (2006)
This is a great spot for scuba diving.
The Sun (2012)
Perhaps he should dive in a little deeper.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We saw at least ten playful dolphins ducking and diving around our boat.
The Sun (2013)
From then on divers from the local club dived to it just as a curiosity.
The Sun (2010)
Everybody knew the bubble would come to an end but nobody dived off quickly enough.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They were leading until a blunder on their fourth dive sends the pair out of the medals.
The Sun (2012)
He has paid for the bite and he is not the only one who has dived.
The Sun (2014)
This showed the passengers laughing and shouting as the helicopter performed steep climbs and dives and swooped low over trees.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Stick His headlong celebration dive showed his delight.
The Sun (2010)
Watch the dove fly off on its way to fulfil their heart's desire.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Yesterday's dive also inspired a range of reactions on social media.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You visualise your dive before you go, staying in your own little bubble.
The Sun (2008)
Word lists with
dive
terms used in aviation
In other languages
dive
British English: dive /daɪv/ NOUN
A dive is a headlong plunge into water, especially one of several formalized movements made as a sport.
He walked out and did another perfect dive.
American English: dive
Arabic: غَطْس
Brazilian Portuguese: mergulho
Chinese: 跳水
Croatian: skok u vodu
Czech: skok do vody
Danish: dykning
Dutch: duik
European Spanish: salto
Finnish: sukellus yksittäinen
French: plongeon
German: Kopfsprung
Greek: βουτιά
Italian: tuffo
Japanese: 飛び込み
Korean: 다이빙
Norwegian: stup
Polish: skok do wody
European Portuguese: mergulho
Romanian: scufundare
Russian: прыжки в воду
Latin American Spanish: zambullida
Swedish: dyk
Thai: การดำน้ำ
Turkish: dalış
Ukrainian: занурення
Vietnamese: sự lặn
British English: dive /daɪv/ VERB
If you dive into some water, you jump in head-first with your arms held straight above your head.
He tried to escape by diving into a river.
American English: dive
Arabic: يَغْطِسُ
Brazilian Portuguese: mergulhar
Chinese: 跳水
Croatian: roniti
Czech: skočit do vody po hlavě
Danish: dykke
Dutch: duiken
European Spanish: zambullirse lanzarse
Finnish: sukeltaa
French: plonger
German: tauchen
Greek: βουτώ
Italian: tuffarsi
Japanese: 飛び込む
Korean: 다이빙하다
Norwegian: stupe
Polish: zanurkować
European Portuguese: mergulhar
Romanian: a se scufunda
Russian: нырять
Latin American Spanish: zambullirse
Swedish: dyka
Thai: ดำน้ำ
Turkish: dalmak deniz vb
Ukrainian: занурюватися
Vietnamese: lao đầu xuống nước
All related terms of 'dive'
diva
You can refer to a successful and famous female opera singer as a diva .
back dive
a dive in which the diver stands on the springboard with the back to the water and jumps up, arching backward to land either feetfirst facing the springboard or headfirst facing away from the springboard
deep dive
A deep dive into something is a thorough investigation and analysis of it.
dive-bomb
If a plane dive-bombs an area, it suddenly flies down low over it to drop bombs onto it.
high dive
the performance of a dive from a high board
nose dive
a sudden plunge with the nose or front pointing downwards , esp of an aircraft
swan dive
a forward dive in which the legs are held straight and together, the back is arched , and the arms are stretched out to the sides: the arms are brought forward and together just before entering the water
crash dive
a sudden steep dive from the surface by a submarine
dive bomber
You can refer to a plane that flies down low over a place in order to drop bombs on it as a dive bomber .
dive brake
a flap or spoiler extended from the wings of a ground-attack aircraft for controlling a dive
front dive
a dive from a position facing the water in which the diver jumps up from the springboard , rotating the body forward, and enters the water either headfirst or feetfirst
power dive
a steep dive by an aircraft with its engines at high power
scuba dive
to dive with scuba equipment
stage-dive
to jump off the stage at a concert onto the crowd below
forward dive
See front dive
swallow dive
a type of dive in which the diver arches the back while in the air, keeping the legs straight and together and the arms outstretched , finally entering the water headfirst
take a dive
to lose a prizefight purposely by pretending to get knocked out
nosedive
If prices , profits , or exchange rates nosedive , they suddenly fall by a large amount.
air brake
Air brakes are brakes which are used on heavy vehicles such as buses and trains and which are operated by means of compressed air.
sky diving
the sport of jumping from an airplane and executing free-fall maneuvers before opening the parachute , often at the last possible moment
skin diving
the sport or activity of diving and underwater swimming without wearing a diver's costume