nosedive
nosedive Lexical Profile
nosedive Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sudden, sharp drop or rapid deterioration, especially in prices, value, fortune, or reputation.
"Tech stocks took a sudden nosedive following the disappointing quarterly earnings report."
A steep downward plunge by an aircraft or bird, with the nose or front pointing straight down.
"The stunt pilot pulled the biplane out of a steep nosedive just a few hundred feet above the airfield."
• verb
To fall or deteriorate suddenly and sharply (of prices, statistics, or conditions).
"Consumer confidence nosedived after inflation reached its highest level in a decade."
To plunge steeply downward with the nose or front pointing straight down (especially of an aircraft).
"The falcon nosedived toward the meadow to catch its prey."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century from the compound of 'nose' and 'dive', originally in aviation to describe an aircraft plunging steeply nose-first before gaining its figurative sense of a sudden decline.