{
    "term": "plunge",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "plunge",
            "heSheIt": "plunges"
        },
        "pastSimple": "plunged",
        "pastParticiple": "plunged",
        "ingForm": "plunging"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to move or make somebody/something move suddenly forwards and/or downwards",
            "sensetop": "+ adv./prep.plunge somebody/something + adv./prep.",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death.",
                    "contextForm": "+ adv./prep."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The train left the track and plunged down the embankment."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The earthquake plunged entire towns over the edge of the cliffs.",
                    "contextForm": "plunge somebody/something + adv./prep."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He plunged from a tenth floor window."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The car plunged headlong into the river."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["ahead", "back", "downwards/​downward"],
                "preposition": ["down", "from", "into"],
                "phrases": ["plunge to your death"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to decrease suddenly and quickly",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Stock markets plunged at the news of the coup."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This year profits plunged by 40 per cent."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Change, cause and effect"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to slope down steeply",
            "sensetop": "+ adv./prep.",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The track plunged down into the valley."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to move up and down suddenly and violently",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The horse plunged and reared."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His heart plunged *(= because of a strong emotion)*."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/plʌndʒ/",
                "audio": "pl/plunge/plunge__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈplʌndʒɪz/",
                "audio": "pl/plunge/plunges__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/plʌndʒd/",
                "audio": "pl/plunge/plunged__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈplʌndʒɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pl/plunge/plunging__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/plʌndʒ/",
                "audio": "pl/plunge/plunge__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈplʌndʒɪz/",
                "audio": "pl/plunge/plunges__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/plʌndʒd/",
                "audio": "pl/plunge/plunged__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈplʌndʒɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pl/plunge/plunging__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Old French plungier ‘thrust down’, based on Latin plumbum ‘lead, plummet’."
}