dunk
Americanverb (used with object)
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to dip (a doughnut, cake, etc.) into coffee, milk, or the like, before eating.
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to submerge in a liquid.
She dunked the curtains in the dye.
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Basketball. to attempt to thrust (a ball) through the basket using a dunk shot.
verb (used without object)
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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.
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Basketball. to execute or attempt a dunk shot.
noun
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any flavorful sauce, dip, gravy, etc., into which portions of food are dipped before eating.
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Basketball. dunk shot.
verb
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to dip (bread, etc) in tea, soup, etc, before eating
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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.
Doncic scored his final points of the night on a two-handed dunk in transition, methodically jumping off of both feet before barely clearing the top of the rim.
From Los Angeles Times
Two days off between games left James looking spry, with lob dunks and dunks on the fast break contributing to his 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
From Los Angeles Times
“It was either get the steal,” Demary said, “or they just get an open dunk.”
He threw a lob to Maxi Kleber for a dunk in the third quarter then pumped both of his fists.
From Los Angeles Times
A twisting, jumping bounce pass from James to Jarred Vanderbilt for a dunk tied the game 91-91 with 8:57 to go, but the Pistons answered with six consecutive points.
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.
