dive

verb (past dived or dove /dōv/; past participle dived)

• 1 [with adverbial of direction] plunge head first into water:she walked to the deep end, then she dived in he dived off the bridge for a bet
• (of a fish, a submarine, or a vessel used for underwater exploration) go to a deeper level in water:the fish dive down to about 1,400 feet and then swim southwest
• swim underwater using breathing equipment:he had been diving in the area to test equipment

• 2(of an aircraft or bird) plunge steeply downward through the air:the aircraft dove for the ground to avoid the attack
• move quickly or suddenly in a specified direction:a bullet passed close to his head, and he dived for cover (as adjective diving)he attempted a diving catch
• (of prices or profits) drop suddenly:profits before tax dived by 61 percent
• informal put one’s hand quickly into something, especially a pocket or purse, in order to find something:she dived into her bag and extracted a card
• Soccer & Ice Hockey (of a player) deliberately fall when challenged in order to deceive the referee into awarding a foul.

noun

• 1a plunge head first into water:he hit the sea in a shallow dive a high dive
• an instance of swimming or going deeper under water:divers should have a good intake of fluid before each dive

• 2a steep descent by an aircraft or bird:the jumbo jet went into a diveSee also nosedive.
• a sudden movement in a specified direction:she made a dive for the fridge to quench her raging thirst
• a sudden and significant fall in prices or profits:an 11 percent dive in profits
• Soccer & Ice Hockey a deliberate fall by a player, intended to deceive the referee into awarding a foul.

• 3 informal a disreputable nightclub or bar:he got into a fight in some dive