noun
bunker
BUHNG-kuh
noun
1
A reinforced underground shelter built to withstand bombing or attack.
"The soldiers took cover in an underground bunker."
2
In golf, a sand-filled hollow serving as a hazard on the course.
"His ball landed in the greenside bunker."
verb
1
To hit a golf ball into a bunker, or to load a ship with fuel.
"He bunkered his tee shot on the 9th hole."
How to Use Bunker
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn underground shelter built to survive attacks, or a sand trap on a golf course.
Common pairings
underground bunker
in the bunker
bunker fuel
Word Forms
bunkered past tense, bunkers plural, bunkers plural, bunkers singular
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Etymology
The earliest sense referred to a chest or box used as a seat, from Scots bunker, ultimately from Old Norse bunki ("a heap"); the "bomb shelter" sense was borrowed from German Bunker during World War II.