diver

American  

[dahy-ver] / ˈdaɪ vər /

noun

1. a person or thing that dives.

2. a person who makes a business of diving, as for pearl oysters or to examine sunken vessels.

3. British. a loon.

4. any of several other birds noted for their skill in diving.

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diver British  

/ ˈdaɪvə /

noun

1. a person or thing that dives

2. a person who works or explores underwater

3. Also called: loom.  US and Canadian name: loon.  any aquatic bird of the genus Gavia, family Gaviidae, and order Gaviiformes of northern oceans, having a straight pointed bill, small wings, and a long body: noted for swiftness and skill in swimming and diving

4. any of various other diving birds

5. slang soccer a player who pretends to have been tripped or impeded by an opposing player in order to win a free kick or penalty

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Etymology

Origin of diver

First recorded in 1500–10; dive + -er ¹

Example Sentences

His big break came when he was taken on as a research diver with the British Antarctic Survey, stationed at Signy Island in the South Orkney Islands.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Now retired, he is Britain's most decorated diver having competed in five Olympic Games and collected three bronze, one silver and one gold medal.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

How they are laid: A diver attaches it to a ship’s hull, magnetically or with a nail gun.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

How they are laid: A diver attaches it to a ship’s hull, magnetically or with a nail gun.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Then, on May 5, 1971, diver Percy Ackland made the most exciting discovery of all when he found a number of wooden frames that were unmistakably part of the Mary Rose’s hull.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• boater
• cadet
• marine
• pilot