/ sɪŋk; NAmE / verb , noun , adjective
■ verb
( sank / sæŋk; NAmE / sunk / sʌŋk; NAmE /) or ( less frequent sunk , sunk )
IN WATER / MUD, etc.
1.
[ v ] to go down below the surface or towards the bottom of a liquid or soft substance :
The ship sank to the bottom of the sea.
We're sinking!
The wheels started to sink into the mud.
to sink like a stone
BOAT
2.
[ vn ] to damage a boat or ship so that it goes below the surface of the sea, etc. :
a battleship sunk by a torpedo
FALL / SIT DOWN
3.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] ( of a person ) to move downwards, especially by falling or sitting down
SYN collapse :
I sank into an armchair.
She sank back into her seat, exhausted.
The old man had sunk to his knees .
MOVE DOWNWARDS
4.
[ v ] ( of an object ) to move slowly downwards :
The sun was sinking in the west.
The foundations of the building are starting to sink.
BECOME WEAKER
5.
[ v ] to decrease in amount, volume, strength, etc. :
The pound has sunk to its lowest recorded level against the dollar.
He is clearly sinking fast (= getting weaker quickly and will soon die) .
OF VOICE
6.
[ v ] to become quieter
SYN fade :
Her voice sank to a whisper.
DIG IN GROUND
7.
[ vn ] to make a deep hole in the ground
SYN drill :
to sink a well / shaft / mine
8.
[ vn ] to place sth in the ground by digging :
to sink a post into the ground
—see also sunken
PREVENT SUCCESS
9.
[ vn ] ( informal ) to prevent sb or sb's plans from succeeding :
I think I've just sunk my chances of getting the job.
If the car breaks down, we'll be sunk (= have serious problems) .
BALL
10.
[ vn ] to hit a ball into a hole in golf or snooker :
He sank a 12-foot putt to win the match.
ALCOHOL
11.
[ vn ] ( BrE , informal ) to drink sth quickly, especially a large amount of alcohol
•
IDIOMS
- be sunk in sth
- (like rats) deserting / leaving a sinking ship
- sink your differences
- a / that sinking feeling
- sink or swim
- sink so low | sink to sth
—more at heart
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- sink in | sink into sth
- sink into sth
- sink into sth | sink sth into sth
- sink sth into sth
■ noun
1.
a large open container in a kitchen that has taps / faucets to supply water and that you use for washing dishes in :
Don't just leave your dirty plates in the sink!
I felt chained to the kitchen sink (= I had to spend all my time doing jobs in the house) .
2.
( especially NAmE ) = washbasin
•
IDIOMS
see kitchen
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] ( BrE ) located in a poor area where social conditions are bad :
the misery of life in sink estates
a sink school
••
WORD ORIGIN
verb Old English sincan , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zinken and German sinken .
noun Middle English : from the verb sink .