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

In the follow-up, the central family must leave their Greenland bunker in search of a new home in post-apocalyptic Europe. —Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 10 Jan. 2026

This time, John (Gerard Butler), Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their teen son, Nathan (Roman Griffin Davis), flee their protective bunker for brighter horizons amid atmospheric horrors and a hail of fiery meteors. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2026

Verb

Safety regulations require some natural gas to remain in the tanks at all times, but the amount of biogas bunkered at the port of Bergen—those 300 cubic meters—equals the fuel requirement for the entire 11-day round trip to Kirkenes, along the Russian border, and back to Bergen. —Ryan Craggs, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026

Normally, teams bunker in deep after a player receives a red card, especially late in a game. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025

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