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What is the difference between dunk and dive?

dunk | dive |

As verbs the difference between dunk and dive

is that dunk is to submerge briefly in a liquid while dive is to swim under water.

As nouns the difference between dunk and dive

is that dunk is the act of dunking, particularly in basketball while dive is a jump or plunge into water.

dunk

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To submerge briefly in a liquid.
  • I like to dunk my donut in my coffee.
  • To set down carelessly.
  • Parents shouldn't just dunk their kids in front of the TV.
  • (ambitransitive, basketball) To put the ball directly downward through the hoop while grabbing onto the rim with power.
  • The center spun quickly and dunked the ball with authority.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of dunking, particularly in basketball.
  • The point guard threaded a pass with pinpoint precision to the power forward for an easy dunk.

    See also

    * alley oop * jam * slam ----

    dive

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) diven, duven, from the merger of (etyl) . See also (l), (l).

    Verb

  • To swim under water.
  • To jump into water head-first.
  • * Whately
  • It is not that pearls fetch a high price because men have dived for them.
  • To descend sharply or steeply.
  • (especially with in ) To undertake with enthusiasm.
  • She dove right in and started making improvements.
  • (sports) To deliberately fall down after a challenge, imitating being fouled, in the hope of getting one's opponent penalised.
  • To cause to descend, dunk; to plunge something into water.
  • (Hooker)
  • To explore by diving; to plunge into.
  • * Denham
  • The Curtii bravely dived the gulf of fame.
  • * Emerson
  • He dives the hollow, climbs the steeps.
  • (figurative) To plunge or to go deeply into any subject, question, business, etc.; to penetrate; to explore.
  • (South)
    Usage notes
    The past tense dove'' is found chiefly in North American English, where it is used alongside the regular (and earlier) ''dived'', with regional variations; in British English ''dived'' is the standard past tense, ''dove'' existing only in some dialects. As a past participle, ''dove'' is relatively rare. (Compare ''Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary''; ''The American Heritage Dictionary''; ''The Cambridge Guide to English Usage )

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A jump or plunge into water.
  • A swim under water.
  • A decline.
  • (slang) A seedy bar, nightclub, etc.
  • (aviation) Aerial descend with the nose pointed down.
  • (sports) A deliberate fall after a challenge.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl); see diva.

    Noun

    (head)
  • Anagrams

    * English irregular verbs ----