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

Construction of a presidential bunker beneath the East Wing was not subject to the injunction. —Arden Farhi, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026

Facing an awkward bunker shot from 35 yards to a back pin where a miss long is death, Matt proceeded to knock it to 14 inches. —Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026

Verb

With Paradise, the plan was to push further into the history of Swedish dance music with his core producers, including fellow Swedes Eurohead and Varg along with the Aussie Jamesjamesjames, recording together as SWEDM while bunkered up in Phuket last summer. —Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026

The leak occurred during a bunkering operation in the Deurganck Dock involving the container ship MSC Denmark VI Thursday night. —Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 10 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