bunk

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
b
: a built-in bed (as on a ship) that is often one of a tier of berths
c
: a sleeping place
2
: a feeding trough for farm animals and especially cattle

bunk

2 of 4

verb

bunked; bunking; bunks

intransitive verb

: to occupy a bunk or bed : stay the night
bunked with a friend for the night

transitive verb

: to provide with a bunk or bed

bunk

3 of 4

noun (2)

bunk

4 of 4

noun (3)

British
: a hurried departure or escape
usually used in the phrase do a bunk

Examples of bunk in a Sentence

Verb We'll bunk here for the night. She was able to bunk with friends.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Photo : Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica The kids’ bunk room. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 Heartfield recommends adding a workstation under a lofted bed or creating a twin bunk over a full or queen for a child's sleepover guests. Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2024 Several former staffers say this is bunk—that what mainly distinguishes the Boring Company’s efforts is a willingness to put workers in danger. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 It was refuted by multiple studies, and a subsequent investigation showed his work to be bunk. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Valdez, Gibbs and the other residents were allowed to return to their bunks in their tiny homes last week after the floodwaters receded, and after the city had cleared much of the debris blocking the fence and storm drains. Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 The original structure, the historic Sheldon Mountain House, was a rustic 212-square-foot hut with a wood-burning stove, four bunks, and an outhouse. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2023 Check-out at 6:30 a.m. — San Diego Rescue Mission, 120 Elm St., had space for up to 10 single women able to access the top bunks. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 In one area of the plant, just two members of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade were sleeping — though there were enough bunks for a dozen people. Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
Verb
The group was picked up in golf carts and bunked in old military barracks. Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024 The dogs have heated squares for sleeping and bunk two to a room to prevent loneliness; the cats have specially designed climbing nests that look like spiral staircases. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 14 Feb. 2024 This is where hundreds of workers bunked while building Henry Flagler’s Key West extension of the Florida East Coast Railway, which connected the Keys to mainland Florida. Gwen Filosa, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2024 The time has seemingly passed when a candidate can win Carter-style by slogging from small town to small town, bunking with local families and spending years meeting voters a handful at a time. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2024 Crew quarters are cramped, with 10 men bunking in rooms built for half that number. Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023 Key swing state Pennsylvania’s delegation will bunk in rooms at the Palmer House. John Byrne, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2023 In Dallas and other regions, the department signed memoranda of understanding with entities such as churches, other religious groups and private child placing agencies to use their facilities as places to bunk such children. Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2023 Nowitzki arrived in Dallas with a Nick Carter-of-Backstreet Boys haircut and bunked for a few days in then-coach Don Nelson’s home. Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 13 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bunk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably short for bunker

Noun (3)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1758, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1900, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bunk was in 1758

Dictionary Entries Near bunk

Cite this Entry

“Bunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bunk. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bunk

1 of 3 noun
1
2
: a built-in bed (as on a ship)
3
: a sleeping place

bunk

2 of 3 verb
1
: to sleep in a bunk or bed
2
: to provide with a bunk or bed

bunk

3 of 3 noun
Etymology

Noun

probably a shortened form of bunker

Noun

short for bunkum, from Buncombe County, North Carolina

Word Origin
The word bunk is a shortened form of bunkum, which came from the name Buncombe County, North Carolina. Around 1820, the congressman for the district in which this county was located decided to give a very long, boring speech to the Congress. This speech had nothing at all to do with what was under discussion. Still he stubbornly made it, just to please the voters of Buncombe County. The word buncombe and its other spelling bunkum quickly caught on as a name for empty political nonsense. It didn't take long before its use broadened to include any kind of empty or insincere talk or action. In time it was shortened to the more emphatic bunk.

More from Merriam-Webster on bunk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!