bung

¹ American  

[buhng] / bʌŋ /

noun

1. a stopper for the opening of a cask.

2. a bunghole.

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verb (used with object)

1. to close with or as if with a bung; cork; plug (often followed byup ).

bung ² American  

[buhng] / bʌŋ /

adjective

Australian.

1. out of order; unusable; broken.

2. bankrupt.

3. Slang. dead.

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bung ³ American  

[buhng] / bʌŋ /

verb (used with object)

1. to beat; bruise; maul (often followed byup ).

2. British Slang. to throw or shove carelessly or violently; sling.

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bung ¹ British  

/ bʌŋ /

noun

1. a stopper, esp of cork or rubber, for a cask, piece of laboratory glassware, etc

2. short for bunghole

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verb

1. (often foll by up) to close or seal with or as with a bung

   the car's exhaust was bunged up with mud

2. slang to throw; sling

bung ² British  

/ bʌŋ /

adjective

1. useless

2. 1. to fail or collapse

   2. to die

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bung ³ British  

/ bʌŋ /

noun

1. a gratuity; tip

2. a bribe

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verb

1. (tr) to behave in a pretentious manner

Etymology

Origin of bung¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bunge “bung, bunghole,” from Middle Dutch bong(h)e “stopper”

Origin of bung²

First recorded in 1840–50; perhaps from Waga (an Australian Aboriginal language spoken around Kingaroy, southern Queensland) bongī “dead”

Origin of bung³

First recorded in 1815–25; originally Scots variant of bang ¹

Example Sentences

"I am a diligent recycler, I really try. But we've noticed that actually they seem to bung it all in the same van," she says.

From BBC

“Because the underlying ecosystem is so bunged up that I don’t see an alternative.”

From Los Angeles Times

Their house now has a "bung", which blocks it off from the main sewer network.

From BBC

This money was "part of a general bung to the media", Mr Cummings added.

From BBC

"I just had a stinker of a cold and was all bunged up."

From BBC

Related Words

• dangle
• fling
• heave
• hoist
• hurl
• lob