dunk
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to dip (a doughnut, cake, etc.) into coffee, milk, or the like, before eating.
-
to submerge in a liquid.
She dunked the curtains in the dye.
-
Basketball. to attempt to thrust (a ball) through the basket using a dunk shot.
verb (used without object)
-
to dip or submerge something, oneself, etc., in a liquid.
She thinks it's vulgar to dunk. Let's dunk in the pool before dinner.
-
Basketball. to execute or attempt a dunk shot.
noun
-
any flavorful sauce, dip, gravy, etc., into which portions of food are dipped before eating.
-
Basketball. dunk shot.
verb
-
to dip (bread, etc) in tea, soup, etc, before eating
-
to submerge or be submerged in liquid
Usage
What does dunk mean? Dunk means to dip or submerge something in liquid or something like a liquid.More specifically, it can refer to dipping foods into liquids or sauces or dips, like dunking a doughnut into coffee before eating it (but not for so long that it gets too soggy and part of it falls in—it’s a delicate process).In basketball, to dunk is to put the ball directly into the hoop, especially forcefully (this kind of dunking is the opposite of delicate). Such a shot is called a dunk or a slam-dunk or a slam or a jam or a stuff or a throw-down (or even more colorful names, if you’re Darryl Dawkins).Example: I like to dunk my fries into the milkshake—don’t knock it till you try it.
Other Word Forms
- dunkable adjective
- dunker noun
Etymology
Origin of dunk
An Americanism first recorded in 1865–70; from Pennsylvania Dutch dunke “to dip, immerse”; compare German tunken, Middle High German dunken, tunken, Old High German thunkōn, dunkōn
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Reaves threw a lob to James for a dunk, bringing the crowd to its feet.
From Los Angeles Times
A sheet cake dipped in pancake batter, dunked in butter frosting and sprinkled with Pop-Tarts.
From Salon
He added two more later in the game, with other highlights including a huge, driving dunk in the third quarter.
From Barron's
If you've ever hovered over a sink debating whether to dunk your face into a bowl of ice water, you're not alone.
From BBC
The dunk contest, three-point contest and skills challenge were showcased on Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
