Plongeante

Plongeante is a French term that translates to "diving" or "plunging" in English. It is most commonly used in the context of the sport of diving, specifically referring to the act of a diver entering the water from a platform or springboard. The term can describe the entire discipline of diving as a sport or the specific action of a dive itself. In competitive diving, a successful plongeante requires precision, control, and artistry as the diver executes a series of acrobatic maneuvers before entering the water. The objective is to achieve minimal splash upon entry, indicating a clean and well-executed dive. The term can also be used more generally to describe anything that plunges or dives downwards, such as a bird diving for prey or an aircraft in a steep descent. Its etymology directly relates to the verb "plonger," meaning to dive or plunge.