diver
gb/dˈaɪvɚ/ us/dˈaɪvɚ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
role
1
person who swims underwater
A person who swims underwater, often with special equipment.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a diver; [a/an] diver
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use diver when they mean swimmer; a diver goes underwater on purpose, often with gear.
Synonyms
scuba diver (More specific: uses scuba equipment.)
|
frogman (Often military or professional; less common.)
Collocations
scuba diver
|experienced diver
|certified diver
|professional diver
|rescue diver
|deep-water diver
|dive buddy
|diver training
|diver safety
|diver certification
Themes
sports
|outdoors
|travel
|water
Examples
- The diver checked her tank before entering the water.
- A diver surfaced near the boat and waved to the crew.
- They hired a diver to inspect the underwater cables.
Learner examples
- My uncle is a diver.
- The diver went under the water.
Noun
B1
role
2
athlete who does diving
A person who competes in the sport of diving.
Usage pattern:
[a/an] diver; [someone] is a diver
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse diving (the sport) with diving underwater; competitive divers usually enter the water quickly and do not stay underwater.
Synonyms
diving athlete (More general and descriptive.)
Collocations
Olympic diver
|competitive diver
|springboard diver
|platform diver
|national-team diver
|elite diver
|diver’s routine
|diver’s score
|synchronized diver
|diver training
Themes
sports
|competition
|fitness
Examples
- The diver won gold with a near-perfect final dive.
- She’s a diver on the university team.
- Each diver performed six dives in the competition.
Learner examples
- He is a diver in the Olympics.
Noun
informal
B2
role
3
player who fakes a foul
A player who falls on purpose to trick the referee.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a diver; call [someone] a diver
Common mistake:
This meaning is about cheating in a game, not about swimming underwater.
Synonyms
cheat (Broader; not limited to faking a fall.)
|
faker (General term for pretending; less sport-specific.)
Antonyms
fair player (Emphasizes playing honestly.)
Collocations
a notorious diver
|accuse someone of being a diver
|call someone a diver
|book a diver
|diver’s reputation
|diver in the box
|serial diver
Themes
sports
|competition
|conflict
Examples
- Fans booed him, calling him a diver after another soft penalty claim.
- The commentator said the striker isn’t a diver and usually stays on his feet.
- He’s developed a reputation as a diver in big matches.
Learner examples
- People said he was a diver.
Noun
B2
role
4
person who skydives
A person who jumps from a plane with a parachute.
Usage pattern:
a diver (in skydiving contexts)
Common mistake:
In general English, people usually say skydiver; diver alone is common mainly when the context is clearly skydiving.
Synonyms
skydiver (The standard, unambiguous term.)
Collocations
experienced diver
|licensed diver
|tandem diver
|diver exit
|diver formation
|diver canopy
|diver landing
|diver safety briefing
Themes
sports
|outdoors
|travel
Examples
- The divers lined up at the door, waiting for the signal to exit the plane.
- A diver’s parachute opened a few seconds after the jump.
- The instructor stayed close to the new diver during the descent.
Noun
C1
entity
5
waterbird that dives for fish
A water bird that goes under the water for food.
Usage pattern:
a diver; divers (birds)
Common mistake:
This meaning refers to a bird, not a person; it’s less common in everyday conversation.
Synonyms
loon (Common North American term for the bird.)
Collocations
sea diver
|diver species
|a pair of divers
|divers on the lake
|diver calls
|diver habitat
Themes
nature
|animals
Examples
- A diver disappeared beneath the surface and reappeared several meters away.
- We heard the haunting call of a diver across the lake at dusk.
- The field guide lists several diver species that nest in the far north.
Grammar
Expressions
commercial diver
1/kəmˈɚʃəl dˈaɪvɚ/
fixed phrase
professional diver for underwater work
A diver who does underwater work for money.
Examples
- A commercial diver repaired the damaged pipe underwater.
- Commercial divers often work in cold, low-visibility water.
- He trained as a commercial diver after leaving the navy.
deep-sea diver
1/dˈip sˈi dˈaɪvɚ/
fixed phrase
diver who works deep underwater
A diver who goes very deep in the sea.
Examples
- The museum displayed a helmet used by a deep-sea diver.
- Deep-sea divers inspected the wreck in difficult conditions.
- It takes special training to work as a deep-sea diver.
diver down
1/dˈaɪvɚ dˈaʊn/
fixed phrase
technical
warning that diver is underwater
A warning meaning a diver is in the water.
Examples
- The crew raised a diver down flag before the group entered the water.
- A sign on the dock read 'Diver down' to warn passing boats.
- When the captain shouted 'Diver down!', the nearby boat slowed immediately.
free diver
1/fɹˈi dˈaɪvɚ/
fixed phrase
diver without breathing equipment
A diver who holds their breath underwater.
Examples
- As a free diver, she can stay underwater for several minutes.
- Free divers avoid disturbing marine life by moving slowly and quietly.
- He started as a free diver before learning scuba.
scuba diver
1/skˈubə dˈaɪvɚ/
fixed phrase
diver using scuba equipment
A diver who uses an air tank to breathe underwater.
Examples
- A scuba diver spotted a sea turtle near the reef.
- He trained for months before becoming a scuba diver.
- The boat carried six scuba divers and their equipment.