to displace part of the volume of a supporting substance or object and become totally or partially submerged or enveloped; fall or descend into or below the surface or to the bottom (often fol. by in or into): The battleship sank within two hours. His foot sank in the mud. Her head sinks into the pillows.
2.
to fall, drop, or descend gradually to a lower level: The river sank two feet during the dry spell.
3.
to settle or fall gradually, as a heavy structure: The tower is slowly sinking.
4.
to fall or collapse slowly from weakness, fatigue, distress, etc.: He gasped and sank to his knees.
5.
to slope downward; dip: The field sinks toward the highway.
6.
to go down toward or below the horizon: the sun sinks in the west.
7.
to penetrate, permeate, or seep (usually fol. by in or into): Wipe the oil off before it sinks into the wood.
8.
to become engulfed or absorbed in or gradually to enter a state (usually fol. by in or into): to sink into slumber.
9.
to be or become deeply absorbed or involved in a mood or mental state (usually fol. by in or into): sunk in thought. She sank into despair.
10.
to pass or fall into some lower state, as of fortune, estimation, etc.; degenerate: to sink into poverty.
11.
to decline or deteriorate in quality or worth.
12.
to fail in physical strength or health.
13.
to decrease in amount, extent, intensity, etc.: The temperature sank to 30° at noon.
14.
to become lower in volume, tone, or pitch: Her voice sank to a whisper.
15.
to enter or permeate the mind; become known or understood (usually fol. by in or into): He said it four times before the words really sank in.
16.
to become concave; become hollow, as the cheeks.
17.
to drop or fall gradually into a lower position: He sank down on the bench.
–verb (used with object)
18.
to cause to become submerged or enveloped; force into or below the surface; cause to plunge in or down: The submarine sank the battleship. He sank his fist into the pillow.
19.
to cause to fall, drop, or descend gradually.
20.
to cause to penetrate: to sink an ax into a tree trunk.
21.
to lower or depress the level of: They sank the roadway by five feet.
22.
to bury, plant, or lay (a pipe, conduit, etc.) into or as if into the ground.
23.
to dig, bore, or excavate (a hole, shaft, well, etc.).
24.
to bring to a worse or lower state or status.
25.
to bring to utter ruin or collapse: Drinking and gambling sank him completely.
26.
to reduce in amount, extent, intensity, etc.
27.
to lower in volume, tone, or pitch.
28.
to suppress; ignore; omit.
29.
to invest in the hope of making a profit or gaining some other return: He sank all his efforts into the business.
30.
to lose (money) in an unfortunate investment, enterprise, etc.
31.
Sports.
a.
to throw, shoot, hit, or propel (a ball) so that it goes through or into the basket, hole, pocket, etc.: She sank the 10 ball into the side pocket.
b.
to execute (a stroke or throw) so that the ball goes through or into the basket, hole, pocket, etc.: to sink a putt; to sink a free throw.
–noun
32.
a basin or receptacle, as in a kitchen or laundry, usually connected with a water supply and drainage system, for washing dishes, clothing, etc.
33.
a low-lying, poorly drained area where waters collect and sink into the ground or evaporate.
O.E. sincan "become submerged, go under" (past tense sanc, pp. suncen), from P.Gmc. *senkwanan (cf. O.S. sinkan, O.N. sökkva, M.Du. sinken, Du. zinken, O.H.G. sinkan, Ger. sinken, Goth. sigqan), from PIE base *sengw- "to sink." The transitive use supplants M.E. sench (cf. drink/drench) which died out 14c. Sinking fund is from 1724; sinker in fishing line sense is from 1844. Adjective phrase sink or swim is from 1668. To sink without a trace is WWI military jargon, transl. Ger. spurlos versenkt.
plumbing fixture consisting of a water basin fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe
2.
(technology) a process that acts to absorb or remove energy or a substance from a system; "the ocean is a sink for carbon dioxide" [ant: source]
3.
a depression in the ground communicating with a subterranean passage (especially in limestone) and formed by solution or by collapse of a cavern roof [syn: sinkhole]
4.
a covered cistern; waste water and sewage flow into it [syn: cesspool]
verb
1.
fall or descend to a lower place or level; "He sank to his knees"
2.
cause to sink; "The Japanese sank American ships in Pearl Harbor"
3.
pass into a specified state or condition; "He sank into nirvana"
4.
go under, "The raft sank and its occupants drowned" [ant: float]
5.
descend into or as if into some soft substance or place; "He sank into bed"; "She subsided into the chair"
6.
appear to move downward; "The sun dipped below the horizon"; "The setting sun sank below the tree line" [syn: dip]
7.
fall heavily or suddenly; decline markedly; "The real estate market fell off" [syn: slump]
8.
fall or sink heavily; "He slumped onto the couch"; "My spirits sank" [syn: slump]
9.
embed deeply; "She sank her fingers into the soft sand"; "He buried his head in her lap" [syn: bury]
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.
Sink\ (s[i^][ng]k), n. The lowest part of a natural hollow or closed basin whence the water of one or more streams escapes by evaporation; as, the sink of the Humboldt River. [Western U. S.]
Sag\ (s[a^]g), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sagged; p. pr. & vb. n. Sagging.] [Akin to Sw. sacka to settle, sink down, LG. sacken, D. zakken. Cf. Sink, v. i.]1. To sink, in the middle, by its weight or under applied pressure, below a horizontal line or plane; as, a line or cable supported by its ends sags, though tightly drawn; the floor of a room sags; hence, to lean, give way, or settle from a vertical position; as, a building may sag one way or another; a door sags on its hinges. 2. Fig.: To lose firmness or elasticity; to sink; to droop; to flag; to bend; to yield, as the mind or spirits, under the pressure of care, trouble, doubt, or the like; to be unsettled or unbalanced. [R.] The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear, Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear. --Shak. 3. To loiter in walking; to idle along; to drag or droop heavily. To sag to leeward (Naut.), to make much leeway by reason of the wind, sea, or current; to drift to leeward; -- said of a vessel. --Totten.
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Audio Help [singk] Pronunciation Key verb, sank or, often, sunk; sunk or sunk·en; sink·ing; noun 
