bunker

1 of 2

noun

bun·​ker ˈbəŋ-kər 

1

: a bin or compartment for storage

especially : one on shipboard for the ship's fuel

2

a

: a protective embankment or dugout

especially : a fortified chamber mostly below ground often built of reinforced concrete and provided with embrasures

b

: a sand trap or embankment constituting a hazard on a golf course

bunker

2 of 2

verb

bunkered; bunkering ˈbəŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: to fill a ship's bunker with coal or oil

transitive verb

1

: to place or store in a bunker

2

: to hit (a golf ball or shot) into a bunker

Examples of bunker in a Sentence

Noun

The ammunition is stored in concrete bunkers.

Verb

She bunkered her tee shot.

They bunkered just enough coal to get them to the port.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Spoiler alert: The twist here is all of this is taking place in a massive underground bunker with no explanation as to what got everyone down there in the first place. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025

Yes, Paradise is yet another show about creating or living in a bunker of apocalypse survivors. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025

Verb

As the snow fell and his family bunkered down, his young siblings relished the first. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025

Fact check: Video shows Benjamin Netanyahu running in 2021, not fleeing to bunker in 2024 The X post seen in the Instagram post does not provide evidence supporting the claim that the head of Netanyahu's medical team announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. —Andre Byik, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Scots bonker chest, box

First Known Use

Noun

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1886, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing bunker

• bunker buster
• bunker mentality

Kids Definition

bunker

noun

bun·​ker

ˈbəŋ-kər

1

: a large bin (as for coal or oil on a ship)

2

: a shelter dug into the ground and made strong against attack

3

: sand trap

Biographical Definition

Bunker

biographical name

Bun·​ker ˈbəŋ-kər 

Ellsworth 1894–1984 American diplomat