dunk

American  

[duhngk] / dʌŋk /

verb (used with object)

1. to dip (a doughnut, cake, etc.) into coffee, milk, or the like, before eating.

2. to submerge in a liquid.

   She dunked the curtains in the dye.

3. Basketball. to attempt to thrust (a ball) through the basket using a dunk shot.

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verb (used without object)

1. 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.

2. Basketball. to execute or attempt a dunk shot.

noun

1. any flavorful sauce, dip, gravy, etc., into which portions of food are dipped before eating.

2. Basketball. dunk shot.

dunk British  

/ dʌŋk /

verb

1. to dip (bread, etc) in tea, soup, etc, before eating

2. to submerge or be submerged in liquid

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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

Then Ayton ran the court and took a return lob pass from James for a dunk.

From Los Angeles Times

Or that teammates fed him for back-to-back dunks to help spark a run of five consecutive scoring possessions early in the second half.

From Los Angeles Times

After Iowa’s Tavion Banks went in for a dunk in transition to extend the lead back to double digits in the final minute, the Bruins’ comeback hopes were over.

From Los Angeles Times

Orange Lutheran 6-foot-8 senior pitcher Gary Morse will throw a no-hitter, then find a hoop and celebrate with a dunk.

From Los Angeles Times

It was James throwing down a reverse dunk and offering words of wisdom to teammates while also shooting 11 for 13 from the field.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• douse
• soak