身體上的猛然下衝
這一族是核心畫面最直接的樣子：真的有東西在空間裡往下或往前猛衝，看得見、聽得到。
plunge, fall suddenly · verb · C1
To suddenly move or fall forwards or down, or to be thrown that way.
猛衝
核心畫面
You can picture a weight on a line dropped straight down into deep water — it does not drift, it goes down fast, headfirst, all at once. Everything else the word does keeps that motion: something committing itself downward with speed and no halfway.
一條綁著鉛塊的繩子被丟進深水裡，鉛塊不是慢慢飄下去，而是頭朝下、一口氣直墜到底。這個字的字源本來就跟「鉛」有關（拉丁…更多收起
一條綁著鉛塊的繩子被丟進深水裡，鉛塊不是慢慢飄下去，而是頭朝下、一口氣直墜到底。這個字的字源本來就跟「鉛」有關（拉丁文 plumbum），畫的正是那種重物往下衝的動作——不是滑落、不是傾斜，而是又快又猛、中間沒有緩衝。後來不管講價格、講船身、講一個人做決定，用的都還是這個「整個投進去、沒有半途」的感覺。From the word’s history
From Old French plongier, from an unattested Late Latin frequentative *plumbico 'to throw a leaded line', from plumbum 'lead' — the sounding-line dropped into water to measure depth.
來自古法文 plongier，再往上追到晚期拉丁文推測形式 *plumbicō「拋出鉛線」，源頭是 plumbum「鉛」。水手用鉛錘測水深，把鉛塊往下丟——這個「重物垂直落下、進到水裡」的動作，就是今天所有 plunge 用法共同的畫面來源。
Wiktionary (English 'plunge', etymology section, citing Old French plongier < Late Latin *plumbicō < plumbum)
Three branches
數字的直線下墜
把下衝的畫面搬到圖表上：折線像鉛塊一樣一路往下扎，跌得又快又深。
plunge, drop sharply (price) · verb · C1
If a price, rate, or amount plunges, it goes down by a large amount all at once.
暴跌
一頭栽進新的事情
從水面往下跳的那一刻：站在邊緣猶豫很久，最後還是整個人跳下去——這個畫面拿來講人生的重大決定。
take the plunge · noun · C1
A decision to do something important or risky, especially after thinking about it for a long time. Almost always used in take the plunge.
冒險一試
原始詞典資料16 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
plungeverb詞源 1/plʌnd͡ʒ/
- 1
To thrust into liquid, or into any penetrable substance; to immerse.
- to plunge the body into water
- "Most of them don't wash. Those who do usually plunge their head into some brook or rill, if there happens to be one about."
- 2
To cast, stab or throw deep and fast into some thing, state, condition or action.
- to plunge a dagger into the breast
- to plunge a nation into war
- 3
obsoleteTo baptize by immersion.
- 4
To dive, leap or rush (into water or some liquid); to submerge oneself.
- he plunged into the river
- 5
To fall or rush headlong into some thing, action, state or condition.
- to plunge into debt
- to plunge into controversy
- 6
To pitch or throw oneself headlong or violently forward, as a horse does.
- [N]ature affects a looſe kinde of liberty, vvhich it cannot indure to have reſtrained: neither fares it othervviſe vvith it, then vvith ſome vvilde colt; which at the firſt taking up, flings and plunges, and vvill ſtand on no ground; but after it hath been ſomvvhile diſciplin'd at the Poſt, is grovvn tractable, and quietly ſubmits either to the ſaddle, or the collar: […]
- 7
slangTo bet heavily and recklessly; to risk large sums in gambling.
- 8
obsoleteTo entangle or embarrass (mostly used in past participle).
- Plunged and gravelled with three lines of Seneca.
另外 1 個記錄的用法
- 9
obsoleteTo overwhelm, overpower.
plungenoun詞源 1/plʌnd͡ʒ/
- 1
The act of plunging or submerging.
- 2
A dive, leap, rush, or pitch into (into water).
- to take the water with a plunge
- A plunge into the sea
- 3
datedA swimming pool.
- 4
The act of pitching or throwing oneself headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse.
- 5
slangHeavy and reckless betting in horse racing; hazardous speculation.
- 6
obsoleteAn immersion in difficulty, embarrassment, or distress; the condition of being surrounded or overwhelmed; a strait; difficulty.
plungeverb詞源 2/plʌnd͡ʒ/
- 1
To remove a blockage by suction.
- to plunge a toilet
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。