sink

to settle or fall gradually, as a heavy structure: The tower is slowly sinking.

to fall or collapse slowly from weakness, fatigue, distress, etc.: He gasped and sank to his knees.

to slope downward; dip: The field sinks toward the highway.

to go down toward or below the horizon: the sun sinks in the west.

to penetrate, permeate, or seep (usually followed by in or into): Wipe the oil off before it sinks into the wood.

to become engulfed or absorbed in or gradually to enter a state (usually followed by in or into): to sink into slumber.

to be or become deeply absorbed or involved in a mood or mental state (usually followed by in or into): sunk in thought. She sank into despair.

to pass or fall into some lower state, as of fortune, estimation, etc.; degenerate: to sink into poverty.

to decline or deteriorate in quality or worth.

to fail in physical strength or health.

to decrease in amount, extent, intensity, etc.: The temperature sank to 30° at noon.

to become lower in volume, tone, or pitch: Her voice sank to a whisper.

to enter or permeate the mind; become known or understood (usually followed by in or into): He said it four times before the words really sank in.

to become concave; become hollow, as the cheeks.

to drop or fall gradually into a lower position: He sank down on the bench.

to cause to penetrate: to sink an ax into a tree trunk.

to lower or depress the level of: They sank the roadway by five feet.

to bury, plant, or lay (a pipe, conduit, etc.) into or as if into the ground.

to dig, bore, or excavate (a hole, shaft, well, etc.).

to bring to a worse or lower state or status.

to bring to utter ruin or collapse: Drinking and gambling sank him completely.

to reduce in amount, extent, intensity, etc.

to lower in volume, tone, or pitch.

to suppress; ignore; omit.

to invest in the hope of making a profit or gaining some other return: He sank all his efforts into the business.

to lose (money) in an unfortunate investment, enterprise, etc.

Sports.

sinkhole (def. 2).

a place of vice or corruption.

a drain or sewer.

a device or place for disposing of energy within a system, as a power-consuming device in an electrical circuit or a condenser in a steam engine.

any pond or pit for sewage or waste, as a cesspool or a pool for industrial wastes.

any natural process by which contaminants are removed from the atmosphere.

(intr) to slope downwards; dip

(intr; often foll by in or into) to pass into or gradually enter a specified lower state or condition: to sink into apathy

to make or become lower in volume, pitch, etc

to make or become lower in value, price, etc

(intr) to become weaker in health, strength, etc

to decline or cause to decline in moral value, worth, etc

(intr) to seep or penetrate

(tr) to suppress or conceal: he sank his worries in drink

(tr) to dig, cut, drill, bore, or excavate (a hole, shaft, etc)

(tr) to drive into the ground: to sink a stake

(tr; usually foll by in or into)

(tr) to pay (a debt)

(intr) to become hollow; cave in: his cheeks had sunk during his illness

(tr) to hit, throw, or propel (a ball) into a hole, basket, pocket, etc: he sank a 15-foot putt

(tr) British informal to drink, esp quickly: he sank three pints in half an hour

sink or swim to take risks where the alternatives are loss and failure or security and success

another word for cesspool

a place of vice or corruption

an area of ground below that of the surrounding land, where water collects

physics a device or part of a system at which energy is removed from the system: a heat sink