sink

[ singk ]
/ sɪŋk /

verb (used without object), sank or, often, sunk; sunk or sunk·en; sink·ing.

verb (used with object), sank or, often, sunk; sunk or sunk·en; sink·ing.

noun

Idioms for sink

    sink one's teeth into,
    1. to bite deeply or vigorously.
    2. to do or enter into with great enthusiasm, concentration, conviction, etc.: to sink my teeth into solving the problem.

Origin of sink

before 1000; (v.) Middle English sinken, Old English sincan; cognate with Dutch zinken, German sinken, Old Norse sǫkkva, Gothic singkwan; (noun) late Middle English: cesspool, derivative of the v.

OTHER WORDS FROM sink

Example sentences from the Web for sinking

British Dictionary definitions for sinking (1 of 2)

sinking
/ (ˈsɪŋkɪŋ) /

noun

  1. a feeling in the stomach caused by hunger or uneasiness
  2. (as modifier)a sinking feeling

British Dictionary definitions for sinking (2 of 2)

sink
/ (sɪŋk) /

verb sinks, sinking, sank, sunk or sunken

noun

adjective

informal (of a housing estate or school) deprived or having low standards of achievement

Derived forms of sink

sinkable, adjective

Word Origin for sink

Old English sincan; related to Old Norse sökkva to sink, Gothic siggan, Old High German sincan, Swedish sjunka

Scientific definitions for sinking

sink
[ sĭngk ]

A part of the physical environment, or more generally any physical system, that absorbs some form of matter or energy. For example, a forest acts as a sink for carbon dioxide because it absorbs more of the gas in photosynthesis than it releases in respiration. Coral reefs are a long-lasting sink for carbon, which they sequester in their skeletons in the form of calcium carbonate.
Geology
  1. See playa.
  2. See sinkhole.
  3. A circular depression on the flank of a volcano, caused by the collapse of a volcanic wall.

Idioms and Phrases with sinking

sink