DictionarybunkerGolf sand hazard
noun / verb

bunker

A sand-filled golf hazard or hitting a ball into it.

The ball lands in the bunker beside the green.

Etymology

The Scots word could name a chest or bin. Its compartment sense extended to a hollow in the ground, including the sand-filled hollows that became hazards on golf courses.

More examples

  • He bunkered his approach shot.
  • She needed two strokes to escape the bunker.
  • Several bunkers guard the final hole.

Forms

bunker · bunkers · bunkered · bunkering

Similar words

sand trap
The common informal equivalent.
hazard
A broader course obstacle.