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bung

1
[ buhng ]
/ bʌŋ /
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See synonyms for: bung / bunged / bunging on Thesaurus.com
noun
a stopper for the opening of a cask.
a bunghole.
verb (used with object)
to close with or as if with a bung; cork; plug (often followed by up).
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Origin of bung

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bunge “bung, bunghole,” from Middle Dutch bong(h)e “stopper”

Words nearby bung

bundu, bundwall, bundy, bunfight, bun foot, bung, bungaloid, bungalow, bungee, bungee cord, bungee jumping

Other definitions for bung (2 of 3)

bung2
[ buhng ]
/ bʌŋ /
adjective Australian.
out of order; unusable; broken.
bankrupt.
Slang. dead.

Origin of bung

2
First recorded in 1840–50; perhaps from Waga (an Australian Aboriginal language spoken around Kingaroy, southern Queensland) bongī “dead”

Other definitions for bung (3 of 3)

bung3
[ buhng ]
/ bʌŋ /
verb (used with object)
to beat; bruise; maul (often followed by up).
British Slang. to throw or shove carelessly or violently; sling.

Origin of bung

3
First recorded in 1815–25; originally Scots variant of bang1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to bung

blockade, drop, fire, fling, heave, lob, sling, clog, fill, pack, seal, dangle, hoist, hurl, bolt, cap, cork, fastener, latch, lid

How to use bung in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bung (1 of 3)

bung1
/ (bʌŋ) /
noun
a stopper, esp of cork or rubber, for a cask, piece of laboratory glassware, etc
short for bunghole
verb (tr)
(often foll by up) to close or seal with or as with a bungthe car's exhaust was bunged up with mud
British and Australian slang to throw; sling

Word Origin for bung

C15: from Middle Dutch bonghe, from Late Latin puncta puncture

British Dictionary definitions for bung (2 of 3)

bung2
/ (bʌŋ) British slang /
noun
a gratuity; tip
a bribe
verb
bung it on (tr) to behave in a pretentious manner

Word Origin for bung

C16 (originally in the sense: a purse): perhaps from Old English pung, changed over time through the influence of bung 1

British Dictionary definitions for bung (3 of 3)

bung3
/ (bʌŋ) /
adjective Australian and NZ informal
useless
go bung
  1. to fail or collapse
  2. to die

Word Origin for bung

C19: from a native Australian language
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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