Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A bin or tank especially for fuel storage, as on a ship.
  • noun Fuel, such as coal or fuel oil, used especially in ships.
  • noun An underground fortification, often with a concrete projection above ground level for observation or gun emplacements.
  • transitive verb To store or place (fuel) in a bunker.
  • transitive verb Sports To hit (a golf ball) into a sand trap.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A bench or sort of chest that serves for a seat.
  • noun A sort of fixed chest or box; a large bin or receptacle: as, a coal-bunker (which see).
  • noun In the game of golf, a sand-hole anywhere on the grounds.
  • Nautical, to load (coal) into a steamer's bunkers for its own use as distinguished from loading it as cargo.
  • In golf, to place (a ball) in play in a difficult position, from which it must be played out; to strike (a ball) into a bunker: said also of the player whose ball is so placed.
  • noun plural The coal carried in bunkers for consumption on board ship. See coal-bunker.
  • noun A menhaden.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb (Golf) To drive (the ball) into a bunker.
  • noun Scot. A sort of chest or box, as in a window, the lid of which serves for a seat.
  • noun A large bin or similar receptacle.
  • noun Scot. A small sand hole or pit, as on a golf course.
  • noun (Golf) Hence, any rough hazardous ground on the links; also, an artificial hazard with built-up faces.
  • noun (Mil.) A fortified position dug into the ground, especially one which is closed on top and has protective walls and roof, e. g. of reinforced concrete. For defending positions it usually has windows to view the surrounding terrain, but as a safe location for planning operations or storage, a bunker may be completely underground with no direct access to the surface.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun military A hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks.
  • noun UK A large container or bin for storing coal, often built outside in the yard of a house. Now rare, as different types of fuels and energy sources are being used.
  • noun nautical A container for storing coal or fuel oil for a ship's engine.
  • noun golf A sand-filled hollow on a golf course.
  • noun paintball An obstacle used to block an opposing player's view and field of fire.
  • noun Scotland A sort of chest or box, as in a window, the lid of which serves for a seat.
  • verb nautical To load a vessel with oil or coal for the engine.
  • verb golf To hit a golfball into a bunker.
  • verb paintball To fire constantly at a hiding opponent, preventing them from firing at other players and trapping them behind the barrier. This can also refer to eliminating an opponent behind cover by rushing the position and firing at extremely close range as the player becomes exposed.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a hazard on a golf course
  • verb fill (a ship's bunker) with coal or oil
  • noun a fortification of earth; mostly or entirely below ground
  • verb hit a golf ball into a bunker
  • verb transfer cargo from a ship to a warehouse
  • noun a large container for storing fuel

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Scots bonker, chest, perhaps of Scandinavian origin.]

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Examples

  • Home for her, then as now, was the town-within-a-town of the Bunker Hill Projects, a brick maze of boxy welfare apartments whose architects had taken the word bunker to heart.

    The Town Chuck Hogan 2004

  • And I think, by now, just about everyone in the United States and around the world has heard the term bunker busters.

    CNN Transcript Mar 20, 2003 2003

  • For some reason or another, the platoon less than twenty men at that time, when they fell back in the company area, what we call the bunker, they went to the right, as you look westward toward the sea.

    Into the Rising Sun Patrick K. O’Donnell 2002

  • CNN's Nic Robertson reports two large explosions were heard that sounded like what he described as bunker buster type bombs and a third explosion he says only in the past few minutes has been heard as well.

    CNN Transcript Jul 18, 2006 2006

  • The Israeli military now confirming to CNN that Israeli airstrikes right now have targeted and actually hit what they describe as a bunker which they suspect include some high-ranking members of Hezbollah.

    CNN Transcript Jul 19, 2006 2006

  • A number of RPG gunners established in what we call bunker systems.

    CNN Transcript May 23, 2004 2004

  • A number of RPG gunners established what we call bunker systems.

    CNN Transcript May 23, 2004 2004

  • Designed by the creative folks at RB Arkitektur as a German bunker from the Second World War, Villa UH1 is actually a minimalist home with contemporary accents.

    Villa UH1 in Sweden 2009

  • The bunker is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays, but requires advanced reservations.

    Rebecca Taylor: Los Angeles and Berlin: Sister Cities Rebecca Taylor 2010

  • The bunker is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays, but requires advanced reservations.

    Rebecca Taylor: Los Angeles and Berlin: Sister Cities Rebecca Taylor 2010

Comments

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  • "ONE of the first large cargo ships in 100 years to cross the Atlantic Ocean with the help of the wind will set off from Europe this month on a voyage that is due to make maritime history.

    When the 10,000-tonne Beluga SkySail is well clear of land, it will launch a giant kite, which wind tunnel tests and sea trials suggest will tug it along and save 10-15% of the heavy fuel oil it would normally burn. If the journey from Bremen in Germany to Venezuela and back is successful, it could become common to see some of the largest ships in the world towed by kites the size of soccer fields.

    'This is a serious attempt to reduce bunker (fuel) costs and polluting emissions,' said Christine Bornkessel, a spokeswoman for the Bremen-based Beluga shipping line, which has 52 merchant vessels."

    - 'Green shipping blowing in the wind', John Vidal, 3 Jan 2008.

    January 3, 2008

  • Wow. Wonder what they'll call these things (since I'll have to add it to my Out to Sea list). :-)

    January 3, 2008

  • Pics here.

    January 3, 2008

  • Amazing.

    January 3, 2008

  • Short for mossbunker.

    January 26, 2009