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sink

  (sĭngk) pronunciation

v., sank (săngk) or sunk (sŭngk), sunk, sink·ing, sinks.

v.intr.
  1. To descend to the bottom; submerge.
    1. To fall or drop to a lower level, especially to go down slowly or in stages: The water in the lake sank several feet during the long, dry summer.
    2. To subside or settle gradually, as a massive or weighty structure.
  3. To appear to move downward, as the sun or moon in setting.
  4. To slope downward; incline.
  5. To pass into a specified condition: She sank into a deep sleep.
    1. To deteriorate in quality or condition: The patient is sinking fast. The family sank into a state of disgrace.
    2. To diminish, as in value.
  7. To become weaker, quieter, or less forceful: His voice sank to a whisper.
    1. To drop or fall slowly, as from weakness or fatigue: The exhausted runner sank to the ground.
    2. To feel great disappointment or discouragement: Her heart sank within her.
  9. To seep or soak; penetrate: The water is sinking into the ground.
  10. To make an impression; become felt or understood: The meaning finally sank in.
v.tr.
  1. To cause to descend beneath a surface: sink a ship.
  2. To cause to drop or lower: sank the bucket into the well.
  3. To force into the ground: sink a piling.
  4. To dig or drill (a mine or well) in the earth.
  5. To occupy the full attention of; engross.
    1. To make weaker, quieter, or less forceful.
    2. To reduce in quantity or worth.
  7. To debase the nature of; degrade.
  8. To bring to a low or ruined state; defeat or destroy.
  9. To suppress or hide: He sank his arrogance and apologized.
  10. Informal. To defeat, as in a game.
    1. To invest: sink money into a new housing project.
    2. To invest without any prospect of return.
  12. To pay off (a debt).
  13. Sports. To get (a ball) into a hole or basket.
n.
  1. A water basin fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe and generally a piped supply of water.
  2. A cesspool.
  3. A sinkhole.
  4. A natural or artificial means of absorbing or removing a substance or a form of energy from a system.
  5. A place regarded as wicked and corrupt.
idiom:

sink or swim Informal.

  1. To fail or succeed without alternative.

[Middle English sinken, from Old English sincan.]

sinkable sink'a·ble adj.
 
 
Thesaurus: sink
also sink in

verb

  1. To fall or drift down to the bottom: gravitate, settle. See rise/fall.
  2. To go beneath the surface or to the bottom of a liquid: founder1, submerge, submerse. See rise/fall.
  3. To go from a more erect posture to a less erect posture: drop, fall, slump. See rise/fall.
  4. To slope downward: decline, descend, dip, drop, fall, pitch. See rise/fall.
  5. To become lower in quality, character, or condition: atrophy, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, retrograde, worsen. Idioms: go bad, go to pot, go to seed, go to the dogs. See better/worse.
  6. To bring oneself down to a lower level of behavior: descend, lower2, stoop. See rise/fall.
  7. To undergo moral deterioration: fall, slip. Idioms: gobadwrong. See right/wrong.
  8. To cause the complete ruin or wreckage of: bankrupt, break down, cross up, demolish, destroy, finish, ruin, shatter, smash, spoil, torpedo, undo, wash up, wrack2, wreck. Slang total. Idioms: put the kibosh on. See help/harm/harmless.
  9. To undergo a sharp, rapid descent in value or price: dive, drop, fall, nose-dive, plummet, plunge, skid, slump, tumble. Idioms: take a suddendowntrenddownturn. See increase/decrease.
  10. To lose strength or power: decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, fail, flag2, languish, wane, waste (away), weaken. Informal fizzle (out). Idioms: go downhill, hit the skids. See increase/decrease, strong/weak.
  11. To cause to penetrate with force: dig, drive, plunge, ram, run, stab, stick, thrust. See put in/take out.

phrasal verb - sink in

    To come as a realization: dawn on (or upon), register, soak in,, knowledge/ignorance.

noun

  1. An area sunk below its surroundings: basin, concavity, depression, dip, hollow, pit1, sag, sinkhole. See convex/concave.
  2. A place known for its great filth or corruption: cesspit, cesspool, pit1. Slang armpit. See clean/dirty, right/wrong.

 
Idioms: sink

Idioms beginning with sink:
sinker
sink in
sinking feeling, a
sink one's teeth into
sink or swim
sink through the floor

See also desert a sinking ship; enough to sink a ship; everything but the kitchen sink; heart sinks.

 
Antonyms: sink

v

Definition: be humble or humbled
Antonyms: brave, fight

v

Definition: deteriorate
Antonyms: improve, increase, recover, rise, strengthen

v

Definition: fall in, go under
Antonyms: float, rise

v

Definition: fall, decrease
Antonyms: grow, increase, rise

v

Definition: go under
Antonyms: ascend, rise

 
Architecture: sink

A plumbing fixture usually consisting of a basin with a water supply, connected with a drain.

 
Electronics Dictionary: sink

Device such as a load that consumes power or conducts away heat.


 
Word Tutor: sink
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To descend to the bottom, move below the surface. Also: A water basin fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe and generally a piped supply of water.

pronunciation A small leak can sink a great ship. — Benjamin Franklin quotes (1706-1790), American statesman.

 
Wikipedia: sink


Many modern sinks are made of stainless steel such as this self-rimming example
Enlarge
Many modern sinks are made of stainless steel such as this self-rimming example

In plumbing, a sink or basin is a bowl-shaped fixture that is used for washing hands or small objects such as food, dishes, nylons, socks or underwear. In American plumbing parlance, a bathroom sink is known as a lavatory.

Sinks generally have taps (faucets) that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing. They also include a drain to remove used water; this drain may itself include a strainer and/or shut-off device and an overflow-prevention device. Sinks may also have an integrated soap dispenser.

When a sink becomes stopped-up or clogged, a person will often resort to use of chemical drain cleaner or a plunger, though most professional plumbers will attack the clog with a drain auger (often called a "plumber's snake").

Materials

Sinks are made of many different materials. These include:

Stainless steel is commonly used in kitchens and commercial applications because it represents a good trade-off between cost, usability, durability, and ease of cleaning. Most stainless steel sinks are made by drawing a sheet of stainless steel over a die. Some very deep sinks are fabricated by welding. Stainless steel sinks will not be damaged by hot or cold objects and resist damage from impacts. One disadvantage of stainless steel is that, being made of thin metal, they tend to be noisier than most other sink materials, although better sinks apply a heavy coating of vibration-damping material to the underside of the sink.

Enamel over cast iron is a popular material for kitchen and bathroom sinks. Heavy and durable, these sinks can also be manufactured in a very wide range of shapes and colors. Like stainless steel, they are very resistant to hot or cold objects, but they can be damaged by sharp impacts and once the glass surface is breached, the underlying cast iron will often corrode, spalling off more of the glass. Aggressive cleaning will dull the surface, leading to more dirt accumulation. Enamel over steel is a similar-appearing but far less rugged and less costly alternative.

Solid ceramic sinks have many of the same characteristics as enamel over cast iron, but without the risk of surface damage leading to corrosion.

Plastic sinks come in several basic forms:

  • Inexpensive sinks are simply injection-molded thermoplastics. These are often deep, free-standing sinks used in laundry rooms. Subject to damage by hot or sharp objects, the principal virtue of these sinks is their low cost.
  • High-end acrylic drop-in (lowered into the countertop) and undermount (attached from the bottom) sinks are becoming more popular, although they tend to be easily damaged by hard objects - like scouring a cast iron frying pan in the sink.
  • Plastic sinks may also be made from the same materials used to form "solid surface" countertops. These sinks are durable, attractive, and can often be molded with an integrated countertop or joined to a separate countertop in a seamless fashion, leading to no sink-to-countertop joint or a very smooth sink-to-countertop joint that can not trap dirt or germs. These sinks are subject to damage by hot objects but damaged areas can sometimes be sanded-down to expose undamaged material.

Soapstone sinks were once common, but today tend to be used only in very-high-end applications or applications that must resist caustic chemicals that would damage more-conventional sinks.

Glass, concrete, and terrazo sinks are usually designed for their aesthetic appeal and can be obtained in a wide variety of unusual shapes and colors such as floral shapes. Concrete and terrazo are occasionally also used in very-heavy-duty applications such as janitorial sinks.

Styles of sink

Sinks are available in many colours, such as this red enamel-over-cast-iron sink in a washroom
Enlarge
Sinks are available in many colours, such as this red enamel-over-cast-iron sink in a washroom

Self-rimming (top-mount) sinks sit in appropriately-shaped holes roughly cut in the countertop (or substrate material) using a jigsaw or other cutter appropriate to the material at hand and are suspended by their rim. The rim then inherently forms a fairly close seal with the top surface of the countertop, especially when the sink is clamped into the hole from below.

Bottom-mount or under-mount sinks are installed below the countertop surface. The edge of the countertop material is exposed at the hole created for the sink (and so must be a carefully finished edge rather than a rough cut). The sink is then clamped to the bottom of the material from below. Especially for bottom-mount sinks, silicone-based sealants are usually used to assure a waterproof joint between the sink and the countertop material. The advantage of an "under-mount" sink is that it gives a contemporary look to the kitchen but the disadvantages are extra cost in both the sink and the counter top. Also, no matter how carefully the cut out is made, the result is either a small ledge or overhang at the interface with the sink. This can create an environment for catching dirt and allowing germs to grow.

Solid-surface plastic materials allow sinks to be made of the same plastic material as the countertop. These sinks can then easily be glued to the underside of the countertop material and the joint sanded flat, creating the usual invisible joint and completely eliminating any dirt-catching seam between the sink and the countertop. In a similar fashion, for stainless steel, a sink may be welded into the countertop; the joint is then ground to create a finished, concealed appearance.

A Belfast sink is a large ceramic sink with a traditional appearance, often set under work surfaces.

A farmer's sink is a deep sink that has a finished front. Set onto a countertop, the finished front of the sink remains exposed. This style of sink requires very little "reach-over" to access the sink.

How Ceramic Basins Are Made

Pottery is made by a blend of clays, fillers and fluxes being fused together during the firing process. A white or coloured glaze is applied and is fused chemically and physically to the clay body during the same firing process. The finished product (vitreous china) has a very hard surface and is resistant to fading, staining, burning, scratching and acid attack. Due to the firing process and natural clays used, it is normal for the product to vary in size and shape, and +/- 5mm is normal.

Accessories

An automatic sink is a sink fitted in a public restroom. It uses a motion-sensing valve to detect the user's hands moving beneath the faucet. It then turns the water on.

Sinks, especially those made of stainless steel, can be fitted with an integrated drainboard, allowing for the draining of washed dishes, such as the sink in the photograph at the start of the article.

See also

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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
Translations: Translations for: Sink

Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - synke, sænke sig, trænge ind, dale
v. tr. - sænke, lade synke, få til at synke, få til at bukke under, holde skjult, undertrykke
n. - vask, køkkenvask, kloak, afløbsrende, pøl, sump

idioms:

  • sink a well    grave en brønd
  • sink in    sive ind, synke sammen
  • sink into    synke ned i, sænke i
  • sink money    sætte penge i
  • sink or swim    nu må det briste eller bære
  • sink someone's plans    ødelægge nogens planer
  • sinking feeling    en sugende fornemmelse i maven
  • sinking fund    reinvesteringsfond, amortiseringsfond

Nederlands (Dutch)
zinken, wegzakken, tot zinken brengen, doordringen, onderdrukken, gootsteen, wasbak, riool

Français (French)
v. intr. - amortir, couler, baisser, (fig) baisser, s'effondrer (un bâtiment), sombrer dans
v. tr. - amortir, (Naut) couler, torpiller, forer, creuser, enfoncer, (GB) descendre (une boisson), (Sport) mettre (qch) dans le trou, faire couler/détruire, (Fin) amortir (une dette), investir dans
n. - évier, lavabo, fosse d'aisance, (fig) cloaque, (Géol) doline

idioms:

  • sink a well    creuser un puits
  • sink in    pénétrer, (fig) faire son chemin
  • sink into    s'enfoncer dans
  • sink money    investir de l'argent, mettre de l'argent dans
  • sink or swim    advienne que pourra, marche ou crève
  • sink someone's plans    couler les plans de qn
  • sinking feeling    serrement de c¯ur
  • sinking fund    (Fin) fonds d'amortissement

Deutsch (German)
n. - Spüle, Senkgrube, Pfuhl, Senke
v. - sinken, versinken, sich senken, versenken

idioms:

  • sink a well    eine Bohrung niederbringen
  • sink in    einsinken
  • sink into    sinken in
  • sink money    Geld investieren
  • sink or swim    untergehen oder überleben
  • sink someone's plans    jmds. Pläne sabotieren
  • sinking feeling    flaues Gefühl im Magen
  • sinking fund    Tilgungsfonds

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - νεροχύτης, βόθρος, βαρίδι (ορμιάς κ.λπ.), (γεωλ.) καταβόθρα
v. - βουλιάζω, βυθίζω/-ομαι, κατακαθίζω, ξεπέφτω, λυγίζω, ενδίδω, σωριάζομαι, δύω, ενσωματώνω, τοποθετώ χωνευτά, (οικον.) επενδύω, (καθομ.) τρώγω ή πίνω

idioms:

  • sink a well    ανοίγω πηγάδι
  • sink in    διαποτίζω, (μτφ.) (για έννοια κ.λπ.) γίνομαι πλήρως αντιληπτός
  • sink into    βυθίζω/-ομαι σε
  • sink money    επενδύω χρήματα
  • sink or swim    του ύψους ή του βάθους
  • sink someone's plans    ματαιώνω τα σχέδια
  • sinking feeling    αίσθημα απογοήτευσης, ανησυχίας ή πανικού, αίσθημα αδυναμίας (από πείνα)
  • sinking fund    (οικον.) χρεολυτικό κεφάλαιο ή αποθεματικό, χρεολύσιο, ράντα

Italiano (Italian)
affondare, lavabo, lavandino

idioms:

  • sink a well    scavare un pozzo
  • sink in    penetrare
  • sink into    esser capito
  • sink money    investire
  • sink or swim    o la va o la spacca
  • sink someone's plans    far naufragare i progetti di
  • sinking feeling    languore di stomaco
  • sinking fund    fondo di ammortamento

Português (Portuguese)
n. - pia (f), bacia (f) (Geog.), esgoto (m), alçapão (m) de teatro
v. - afundar, enterrar, rebaixar, humilhar, ignorar, perder de vista, cunhar

idioms:

  • sink a well    descer ao fundo do poço
  • sink in    penetrar
  • sink into    afundar-se em
  • sink money    investir dinheiro
  • sink or swim    ou dá ou desce
  • sink someone's plans    afundar com os planos de alguém
  • sinking feeling    depressão (f)
  • sinking fund    fundos (m pl) acumulados para pagar dívida pública

Русский (Russian)
раковина, слив, сточный колодец, выгребная яма, клоака, углубление, тонуть, топить, губить, падать, ронять, понижаться, угасать, исчезать из виду, предавать забвению, проникать, вваливаться (о щеках), доходить (до сознания), вонзать, вкладывать (капитал), уплачивать (долг)

idioms:

  • sink a well    рыть колодец
  • sink in    впитывать, вваливаться, дойти (о смысле)
  • sink into    впадать, погружаться в какое-л. состояние
  • sink money    вкладывать деньги
  • sink or swim    либо пан, либо пропал
  • sink someone's plans    расстроить чьи-л. планы
  • sinking feeling    нехорошее предчувствие
  • sinking fund    амортизационный фонд, фонд погашения

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - hundirse, irse a pique, bajar, ocultarse, sumergirse, descender, desaparecer, disminuir, menguar, debilitarse, apagarse, decaer, perder las fuerzas, la salud, ceder, caer, bajarse, embeberse, penetrar, grabarse, convertirse, asentarse
v. tr. - hundir, sumir, sumergir, echar a pique, ahondar, excavar, grabar, bajar (la voz, la mano), reducir, depreciar, rebajar, degradar, clavar, perder de vista, deprimir, abatir, hacer desaparecer, ignorar, prescindir de, omitir, suprimir
n. - lavabo, fregadero, sumidero, sentina, hoyo, área pantanosa

idioms:

  • sink a well    buscar una aguja en un pajar
  • sink in    sumirse en, penetrar, bajar
  • sink into    desaparecer, arrellanarse, dejarse caer, hundirse en, penetrar
  • sink money    invertir dinero sin provecho, malbaratar
  • sink or swim    abandonar a su suerte, fracasemos o no (tenemos que hacerlo)
  • sink someone's plans    echar abajo los planes de alguien
  • sinking feeling    sensación en el cuerpo en particular abdomen debido al hambre
  • sinking fund    fondo o caja de amortización

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - slask, vask, diskho, handfat, avloppsrör, avloppsbrunn
v. - sjunka, sänka, gå ned, förfalla, borra

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
下沉, 下陷, 落, 没, 低落, 陷落, 使下沉, 把...插入, 使陷入, 使下垂, 水槽, 水池

idioms:

  • sink a well    挖个水井
  • sink in    被了解
  • sink into    被忘却, 沉入
  • sink money    浪费金钱
  • sink or swim    不论好坏, 沉浮全看自己
  • sink someone's plans    把某人的计划弄坏
  • sinking feeling    心情颓丧
  • sinking fund    偿债基金

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 下沈, 下陷, 落, 沒, 低落, 陷落
v. tr. - 使下沈, 把...插入, 使陷入, 使下垂
n. - 水槽, 水池

idioms:

  • sink a well    挖個水井
  • sink in    被瞭解
  • sink into    被忘卻, 沉入
  • sink money    浪費金錢
  • sink or swim    不論好壞, 沈浮全看自己
  • sink someone's plans    把某人的計劃弄壞
  • sinking feeling    心情頹喪
  • sinking fund    償債基金

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 서서히 내려가다, (해, 달 따위가) 지다, (가치 등이) 감소하다
v. tr. - 가라앉히다, (말뚝 따위를) 박다, 은폐하다
n. - (부엌의) 수채, 하수구, (악의) 소굴

idioms:

  • sink in    스며들다, 마음에 새기다, (생각 따위가) 충분히 이해되다
  • sink into    ~에 스며들다, 차츰 ~이 되다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 沈む, 沈没する, 沈下する, 傾斜する, 下がる, 弱まる, くぼむ, こける, 破滅させる, 減る, 打ち込む, しみる, 埋める, 隠す
n. - 流し, 洗面台, 下水溝, 巣窟

idioms:

  • sink a well    井戸を掘る
  • sink in    しみ込む, 十分に理解される
  • sink into    …にしみ込む, 次第に…になる
  • sink money    投資で金を失う
  • sink or swim    一か八か, 乗るか反るか
  • sink someone's plans    人の考えを無視する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) بؤرة فساد أو رذيله, مغسله, بالوعه (فعل) يكتئب, ينهار, يغور, يغرق, يخوض, يغطس‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮שקע, צלל, טבע, נפל, צנח, ירד, הניח באדמה‬
v. tr. - ‮השקיע, הטביע, הוריד, הניח באדמה, שכח, סילק‬
n. - ‮כיור, בור שופכין, מאורה, חממת-פושעים, מערת-פריצים‬

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms. © 1999-2008 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Electronics Dictionary. Copyright 2001 by Twysted Pair. All rights reserved.  Read more
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eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial.  Read more
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