dive

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dive / dīv/ • v. (past dived or dove / dōv/ ; past part. dived) [intr.] 1. plunge head first into water: she walked to the deep end, then she dived in | he dived off the bridge for a bet. ∎  move quickly or suddenly in a specified direction: a bullet passed close to his head, and he dived for cover | [as adj.] (diving) he attempted a diving catch. ∎  (of an aircraft or bird) plunge steeply downward through the air: the aircraft dove for the ground to avoid the attack. ∎  (dive into) occupy oneself suddenly and enthusiastically with (a meal or an engrossing subject or activity): dive into a barbecued beef burrito. ∎ fig. (of prices or profits) drop suddenly: profits before tax dived by 61 percent. ∎ inf. put one's hand quickly into something, esp. a pocket or purse, in order to find something: she dived into her bag and extracted a card. ∎  Soccer , Ice Hockey (of a player) deliberately fall when challenged in order to deceive the referee into awarding a foul. 2. swim under water using breathing equipment: he had been diving in the area to test equipment. ∎  (of a fish, a submarine, or a vessel used for underwater exploration) go to a deeper level in water: the fish dive down to about 1,400 feet and then swim southwest. • n. 1. an act of diving, in particular: ∎  a plunge head first into water, esp. from a diving board in a way prescribed for competition: he hit the sea in a shallow dive | a high dive. ∎  an instance of swimming or exploring under water with breathing equipment: divers should have a good intake of fluid before each dive. ∎  an act of going deeper under water by a fish, submarine, or diving vessel: pilot whales can go to 600 meters in a dive lasting 18 minutes. ∎  a steep descent by an aircraft or bird: the jumbo jet went into a dive. See also nosedive. ∎  a sudden movement in a specified direction: she made a dive for the fridge to quench her raging thirst. ∎ fig. a sudden and significant fall in prices or profits: an 11 percent dive in profits. ∎  Soccer , Ice Hockey a deliberate fall by a player, intended to deceive the referee into awarding a foul. 2. inf. a disreputable nightclub or bar: he got into a fight in some dive. PHRASES: dive in help oneself to food. take a dive Boxing pretend to be knocked out. ∎  (of prices, hopes, fortunes, etc.) fall suddenly: profits could take a dive as easily as they could soar | her reputation took a dive from which it has not recovered.

dive vb. trans. OE.; intr. XIII. OE. dȳfan wk. trans. dip, submerge = ON. dȳfa :- *dūƀjan, f. Gmc. *dūƀ-; OE. dūfan intr. did not survive, being replaced by the wk. form; belongs to the Gmc. series *dauƀ- *deuƀ- *duƀ-, parallel to *daup- *deup- *dup- DEEP, DIP.
Hence as sb. XVII; in the U.S. sense of ‘low resort for drinking, etc.’ from the sense of the vb. ‘dart out of sight’.

dive •alive, arrive, chive, Clive, connive, contrive, deprive, dive, drive, five, gyve, hive, I've, jive, live, MI5, revive, rive, shrive, skive, strive, survive, swive, thrive •skydive • swan dive • nosedive •swallow dive • scuba-dive • Argive •beehive • archive