bunker

1 of 2

noun

bun·​ker ˈbəŋ-kər 

1

: a bin or compartment for storage

especially : one on shipboard for the ship's fuel

2

a

: a protective embankment or dugout

especially : a fortified chamber mostly below ground often built of reinforced concrete and provided with embrasures

b

: a sand trap or embankment constituting a hazard on a golf course

bunker

2 of 2

verb

bunkered; bunkering ˈbəŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: to fill a ship's bunker with coal or oil

transitive verb

1

: to place or store in a bunker

2

: to hit (a golf ball or shot) into a bunker

Examples of bunker in a Sentence

Noun

The ammunition is stored in concrete bunkers.

Verb

She bunkered her tee shot.

They bunkered just enough coal to get them to the port.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kartapolov said that possible attacks could aim at underground bunkers used by various branches of Ukraine’s armed forces, security agencies and other government structures. —Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026

Otherwise, gamble in the state’s only private casino, tour the Cold War bunker or tee off on four golf courses. —Jennifer Kester, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026

Verb

And when minnows face whales — Haiti vs. Brazil, Curacao vs. Germany, Iraq vs. France — the result is likely a 90-minute snoozefest of bunkering defense. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2026

The three ports also have accelerated their alternative fuels bunkering capabilities over the past three years. —Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Scots bonker chest, box

First Known Use

Noun

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1886, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing bunker

• bunker buster
• bunker mentality

Rhymes for bunker

• dunker
• hunker
• junker

Kids Definition

bunker

noun

bun·​ker

ˈbəŋ-kər

1

: a large bin (as for coal or oil on a ship)

2

: a shelter dug into the ground and made strong against attack

3

: sand trap

Biographical Definition

Bunker

biographical name

Bun·​ker ˈbəŋ-kər 

Ellsworth 1894–1984 American diplomat