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

Now, satellite images reviewed by Reuters show Beijing is building a sprawling web of launch pads, bunkers and communications nodes near the isolated nuclear silos that hold the Chinese military’s longest-range missiles. —Reuters, NBC news, 29 May 2026

For all the prior cinematic depictions of storming bunkers and camaraderie under fire, Pressure offers us the quiet heroism of rational restraint in the figure of James Stagg, who weathered his inner storms and bore the courage to be disliked. —Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 29 May 2026

Verb

Instead of holding events around Los Angeles to convince skeptics that his mayoral campaign is for everyone, the former reality television bad boy has bunkered himself inside an echo chamber of sycophants, friendly podcasters and milquetoast media outlets. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026

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

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