bunkers

Noun

bunker (plural bunkers)

1. A hardened shelter, often partly buried or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks.
   • The military built a bunker to help evacuate the citizens safely from the bombings.
2. A compartment for storing coal for the ship's boilers; or a tank for storing fuel oil for the ship's engines.
3. The coal compartment on a tank engine; it can also refer to that on a tender engine.
   • Among tank engines, the 0-6-2 wheel arrangement was by far the most numerous, there being nearly 450 of this arrangement, which offers the advantage of good power and adhesive weight, coupled with adequate tank and bunker capacity, within a limited compass.1939 September, D. S. Barrie, “The Railways of South Wales”, in The Railway Magazine, Westminster, London: IPC Transport Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 161
4. A hazard on a golf course consisting of a sand-filled hollow.
   • [Letter X, page 204] At length I came within sight of them, three in number, where they sat cosily niched, into what you might call a bunker, a little sand-pit, dry and snug, and surrounded by its banks, and a screen of whins in full bloom. […] [Letter XI, page 223] And are ye in the wont of...1824 June, [Walter Scott], “Letter X. Darsie Latimer to Alan Fairford.”; “Letter XI. The Same to the Same.”, in Redgauntlet, […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald...
5. An obstacle used to block an opposing player's view and field of fire.
6. (UK, historical) A large bin or container for storing coal, often built outdoors in the yard of a house.
   • There used to be a coal bunker at the back of the house - it was demolished years ago.

See all 19 meanings of bunker