sink

sink
\ \ [OE] Sink is a general Germanic verb, with relatives in German sinken, Dutch zinken, Swedish sjunka, and Danish synke. But where their common Germanic ancestor came from is not known. These days, sink means both ‘go below water’ and ‘cause to go below water’, but originally it was used only for the former. There was a separate but closely related verb, sench, for ‘cause to sink’, which died out in the 14th century. The noun sink [15] originally denoted a pit ‘sunk’ in the ground for receiving water.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Sink — (s[i^][ng]k), v. t. 1. To cause to sink; to put under water; to immerse or submerge in a fluid; as, to sink a ship. [1913 Webster] [The Athenians] fell upon the wings and sank a single ship. Jowett (Thucyd.). [1913 Webster] 2. Figuratively: To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sink — (s[i^][ng]k), n. 1. A drain to carry off filthy water; a jakes. [1913 Webster] 2. A shallow box or vessel of wood, stone, iron, or other material, connected with a drain, and used for receiving filthy water, etc., as in a kitchen. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sink — (s[i^][ng]k), v. i. [imp. {Sunk} (s[u^][ng]k), or ({Sank} (s[a^][ng]k)); p. p. {Sunk} (obs. {Sunken}, now used as adj.); p. pr. & vb. n. {Sinking}.] [OE. sinken, AS. sincan; akin to D. zinken, OS. sincan, G. sinken, Icel. s[ o]kkva, Dan. synke,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sink — sink; sink·able; sink·age; sink·er; sink·er·less; coun·ter·sink; …   English syllables

  • sink — ► VERB (past sank; past part. sunk) 1) become submerged in liquid. 2) (with reference to a ship) go or cause to go to the bottom of the sea. 3) disappear and not be seen or heard of again. 4) drop downwards. 5) lower oneself or drop down gently …   English terms dictionary

  • sink — [siŋk] vi. sank or sunk, sunk, sinking [ME sinken < OE sincan, akin to Ger sinken < IE base * sengw , to fall, sink > Gr heaphthē, (he) sank] 1. to go beneath the surface of water, deep snow, soft ground, etc. so as to be partly or… …   English World dictionary

  • sink — [v1] fall in, go under bore, bring down, capsize, cast down, cave in, couch, decline, demit, depress, descend, dig, dip, disappear, drill, drive, droop, drop, drown, ebb, engulf, excavate, fall, flounder, force down, founder, go down, go to the… …   New thesaurus

  • Sink — ist der Familienname von: Kuldar Sink (1942–1995), estnischer Komponist, Flötist und Cembalist Marje Sink (1910–1979), estnische Komponistin Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort b …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • sink — UK US /sɪŋk/ verb (sank, sunk) ► [I] if prices, profits, shares, etc. sink, they fall to a lower level: »Bond prices sank and stocks rose today. sink to sth »The dollar sank to a record low against the euro. »Shares sank 3% Wednesday to close at… …   Financial and business terms

  • sink\ in — • sink in • soak in v informal To be completely understood; be fully realized or felt. Everybody laughed at the joke but Joe; it took a moment for it to sink in before he laughed too. When Frank heard that war had started, it didn t sink in for a …   Словарь американских идиом

  • Sink — (Groß Schenk), 1) Bezirk im siebenbürgischen Kreise Hermannstadt, gebirgig, von der Aluta durchflossen; mit Getreide , Flachs , Haufbau[129] u. Bienenzucht; 2) Marktflecken u. Hauptort darin; Bezirks u. Steueramt, evangelische Hauptschule,… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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