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• power dive
  power dive

  noun

  a dive, especially a steep dive, by an aircraft in which the engine or engines are delivering thrust at or near full power.
• power-dive
  power-dive

  verb (used with or without object)

  to cause to perform or to perform a power dive.

power dive

¹ American  

noun

Aeronautics.

1. a dive, especially a steep dive, by an aircraft in which the engine or engines are delivering thrust at or near full power.

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power-dive ² American  

[pau-er-dahyv] / ˈpaʊ ərˌdaɪv /

verb (used with or without object)

Aeronautics.

power-dived, power-dove, power-dived, power-diving

1. to cause to perform or to perform a power dive.

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power dive British  

noun

1. a steep dive by an aircraft with its engines at high power

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verb

1. to cause (an aircraft) to perform a power dive or (of an aircraft) to perform a power dive

Etymology

Origin of power dive¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of power-dive²

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

power dive power-dive power-dived power-diving

The power dive came after Tokyo's Nikkei stock average tumbled 653.36 points, to 37,516.77, the steepest one-day drop in two years.

From Time Magazine Archive

The minuscule sub survives the 3G power dive into the artery, and glides idyllically down a clear stream filled with pink and white corpuscles that look like house-sized globules of tapioca.

From Time Magazine Archive

At the same instant he gunned his motor, nosed his plane down in a power dive to clear the airship before an upward gust could possibly cause a foul.

From Time Magazine Archive

Many military planes can plunge in a power dive, faster & faster until the needle of the airspeed indicator creeps close to the dread red mark of "compressibility."

From Time Magazine Archive

Mars snarled, breathed smoke and made a power dive.

From Pagan Passions by Robert Stanley

It can soar above the highest Rockies and power-dive upon its prey at more than 12,0 m.p.h.

From Time Magazine Archive

The ship was lying over on its back in a few seconds, and before I could catch a breath it suddenly whipped over and blasted toward Earth in a screeching, hissing power-dive.

From Larson's Luck by Gerald Vance

Something inside my brain was sucking all my strength in one tremendous, surging power-dive of wish fulfillment.

From The Very Black by Dean Evans

The Japanese power-dived upon Nanking, Chinese anti-aircraft guns on the hills around the capital opened up, and reserve Chinese pursuit fighters took the air, climbing to tear like clawing condors at the Japanese bombers' flanks.

From Time Magazine Archive

Five minutes after the first two, another lone bomber power-dived in over List from due west.

From Time Magazine Archive

In Rehoboth, Mass., a reckless chicken hawk power-dived into a henhouse, was captured by quick-thinking hens who ran out, slammed the door.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the overall industrial picture, inventories continued their power-diving decline, dropped another $700 million in February, showing that U.S. production had been cut much more than sales.

From Time Magazine Archive

Messrs. Mayell's and Alley's films of the power-diving Japanese planes will be something to see in the U. S. next week if local police departments do not censor them as too inflammatory.

From Time Magazine Archive

In 1958, at the controls of his de Havilland Dove on a flight to Europe, he was attacked by Syrian MIGS, escaped only by power-diving toward the desert floor and zigzagging across the border.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Airacobras rapidly overtook the bomber, even though she was power-diving far beyond her limit of stability.

From A Yankee Flier in Italy by Rutherford George Montgomery