dive
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English diven, duven, from the merger of Old English dȳfan (“to dip, immerse”, transitive weak verb) (from Proto-Germanic *dūbijaną) and dūfan (“to duck, dive, sink, penetrate”, intransitive strong verb) (past participle ġedofen). Cognate with Icelandic dýfa (“to dip, dive”), Low German bedaven (“covered, covered with water”). See also deep, dip.
Verb
dive (third-person singular simple present dives, present participle diving, simple past dived or dove, past participle dived or dove (nonstandard))
- To swim under water.
- To jump into water head-first.
- 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.
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)
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Translations
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Noun
dive (plural dives)
- 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.
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Translations
Etymology 2
From Italian; see diva.
Noun
dive
- Plural form of diva
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