I. dive 1 /daɪv/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense dived also dove /dəʊv $ doʊv/ American English , past participle dived ) [intransitive]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: dufan 'to sink' and dyfan 'to put into liquid' ]
1 . JUMP INTO WATER to jump into deep water with your head and arms going in first
dive into/off etc
She dived into a pool.
Diving off the cliffs is dangerous.
2 . SWIM UNDER WATER to swim under water using special equipment to help you breathe:
The first time you dive on a coral reef is an experience you will never forget.
3 . GO DEEPER/LOWER to travel down through the air or through water to a lower level:
The submarine began to dive.
The aircraft appeared to dive vertically towards the crowd.
4 . MOVE QUICKLY [always + adverb/preposition] to move or jump quickly in a particular direction or into a particular place:
Jackson dived after the ball.
We dived into a shop to avoid the rain.
The soldiers were diving for cover (=to protect themselves behind something) .
5 . dive into your bag/pocket etc to put your hand quickly in your bag, pocket etc in order to get something out:
He dived into his pocket and produced a packet of cigarettes.
6 . NUMBERS if numbers, prices etc dive, they suddenly become much lower than before:
The dollar dived against the yen in Tokyo today.
7 . SOCCER to fall down deliberately in order to unfairly win a FREEKICK or a ↑ penalty
dive in phrasal verb
to start doing something eagerly:
Harvey dived in with several questions.
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THESAURUS
▪ jump verb [intransitive and transitive] to push yourself up into the air, over something etc, using your legs:
The cat jumped up onto the table.
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He jumped over the stream.
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His horse jumped the fence successfully.
▪ skip verb [intransitive] to move forwards with little jumps between your steps, especially because you are feeling happy:
The little girl was skipping down the street.
▪ hop verb [intransitive] to jump or move around on one leg:
He was hopping around because he’d injured his foot.
▪ leap verb [intransitive and transitive] especially written to suddenly jump up high or a long way:
The deer leapt over the fence.
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Tina leapt onto the boat as it was moving away.
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Fish were leaping out of the water.
▪ bounce verb [intransitive] to jump up and down several times, especially on something that has springs in it:
Children love bouncing on beds.
▪ dive verb [intransitive] to jump into water with your head and arms first:
Zoë dived into the swimming pool.
▪ vault /vɔːlt $ vɒːlt/ verb [intransitive and transitive] especially written to jump over something in one movement, using your hands or a pole to help you:
He vaulted the ticket barrier and ran for the exit.
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Ben tried to vault over the bar.
II. dive 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . SUDDEN MOVEMENT a sudden movement in a particular direction or into a particular place:
She made a dive for the bathroom.
2 . SUDDEN FALL a sudden fall in the amount, value, or success of something:
The news put shares in a dive.
The team’s fortunes have taken a dive this year.
3 . MOVEMENT DOWNWARDS when something moves down through the air or water:
Thankfully, the pilot managed to pull out of the dive and regain control.
steep/vertical dive
4 . JUMP a jump into deep water with your head and arms going in first
5 . SWIM the act of going under water to swim, using special equipment to help you breathe
6 . PLACE informal a bar, club etc that is cheap and dirty
7 . SOCCER the act of falling down deliberately in order to unfairly win a FREEKICK or a ↑ penalty
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ verbs
▪ go into a dive (=start to move downwards)
The plane was in trouble, then it went into a dive.
▪ pull out of a dive (=stop a plane going down)
He tried to pull out of the steep dive before hitting the ground.
■ adjectives
▪ a steep dive (=going down suddenly)
The fighter plane went into a steep dive.
▪ a vertical dive (=going straight down)
His actions sent the plane into a near vertical dive.
▪ a shallow dive (=going down slowly rather than suddenly)
The bird captures its prey on the ground after a long, shallow dive.
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THESAURUS
▪ bar a place where people go to buy and drink alcoholic drinks:
A man went into a bar and ordered a drink.
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Let’s meet up in the hotel bar.
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The city centre is full of wine bars and restaurants.
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The club has a restaurant and a cocktail bar.
▪ pub a building in Britain where alcohol can be bought and drunk, and where meals are often served:
Do you fancy going to the pub?
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a country pub
▪ public house British English formal a pub:
The fight took place outside a public house in the city centre.
▪ sb’s local informal a pub near where you live, especially one you often go to:
The Red Lion’s my local.
▪ inn a small hotel or pub, especially an old one in the countryside – often used in the name of the hotel or pub:
The Bull Inn dates back to the 15th century.
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The hotel was once a 17th century coaching inn (=used by people travelling by coach and horses) .
▪ gastropub a pub that is known to serve very good food:
a gastropub with a riverside restaurant
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the Windmill Gastropub
▪ tavern British English a pub in the past where you could also stay the night – used nowadays in the names of some pubs:
the Turf Tavern
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Marlowe was killed in a fight in a tavern.
▪ watering hole informal a bar, pub etc where people drink alcohol – often used humorously. A watering hole is also the name for a place where wild animals go to drink:
The bar became a popular watering hole for journalists.
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What’s your favorite watering hole?
▪ dive informal a bar, club etc that is cheap and dirty:
The place is a bit of dive.
▪ honky-tonk American English informal a cheap bar where country music is played:
They played in every honky-tonk in Tennessee.
▪ saloon a bar in the western United States. Also used in Britain about the part of a pub which has comfortable chairs where you can sit and relax:
I felt like a cowboy walking into a saloon in the Wild West.
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Do you want to stay in the saloon, or would rather go into the other bar?