bung

1
[ buhng ]
See synonyms for bung on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a stopper for the opening of a cask.

verb (used with object)
  1. to close with or as if with a bung; cork; plug (often followed by up).

Origin of bung

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bunge “bung, bunghole,” from Middle Dutch bong(h)e “stopper”

Other definitions for bung (2 of 3)

bung2
[ buhng ]

adjectiveAustralian.
  1. out of order; unusable; broken.

  1. Slang. dead.

Origin of bung

2
First recorded in 1840–50; perhaps from Waga (an Australian Aboriginal language spoken around Kingaroy, southern Queensland) bongī “dead”

Other definitions for bung (3 of 3)

bung3
[ buhng ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to beat; bruise; maul (often followed by up).

  2. British Slang. to throw or shove carelessly or violently; sling.

Origin of bung

3
First recorded in 1815–25; originally Scots variant of bang1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for bung (1 of 3)

bung1

/ (bʌŋ) /


noun
  1. a stopper, esp of cork or rubber, for a cask, piece of laboratory glassware, etc

  2. short for bunghole

verb(tr)
  1. (often foll by up) to close or seal with or as with a bung: the car's exhaust was bunged up with mud

  2. British and Australian slang to throw; sling

Origin of bung

1
C15: from Middle Dutch bonghe, from Late Latin puncta puncture

British Dictionary definitions for bung (2 of 3)

bung2

/ (bʌŋ) British slang /


noun
  1. a gratuity; tip

  2. a bribe

verb
  1. bung it on (tr) to behave in a pretentious manner

Origin of bung

2
C16 (originally in the sense: a purse): perhaps from Old English pung, changed over time through the influence of bung 1

British Dictionary definitions for bung (3 of 3)

bung3

/ (bʌŋ) /


adjectiveAustralian and NZ informal
  1. useless

  2. go bung

    • to fail or collapse

    • to die

Origin of bung

3
C19: from a native Australian language

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012