Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Dive?

\Dive\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Dived}, colloq. {Dove}, a relic of the AS. strong forms de['a]f, dofen; p. pr. & vb. n. {Diving}.] [OE. diven, duven, AS. d?fan to sink, v. t., fr. d?fan, v. i.; akin to Icel. d?fa, G. taufen, E. dip, deep, and perh. to dove, n. Cf. {Dip}.] 1. To plunge into water head foremost; to thrust the body under, or deeply into, water or other fluid. It is not that pearls fetch a high price because men have dived for them. --Whately. Note: The colloquial form dove is common in the United States as an imperfect tense form. All [the walruses] dove down with a tremendous splash. --Dr. Hayes. When closely pressed it [the loon] dove . . . and left the young bird sitting in the water. --J. Burroughs. 2. Fig.: To plunge or to go deeply into any subject, question, business, etc.; to penetrate; to explore. --South.
\Dive\, v. t. 1. To plunge (a person or thing) into water; to dip; to duck. [Obs.] --Hooker. 2. To explore by diving; to plunge into. [R.] The Curtii bravely dived the gulf of fame. --Denham. He dives the hollow, climbs the steeps. --Emerson.
\Dive\, n. 1. A plunge headforemost into water, the act of one who dives, literally or figuratively. 2. A place of low resort. [Slang] The music halls and dives in the lower part of the city. --J. Hawthorne.