bung

Etymology 1

From Medieval Dutch bonge, bonne or bonghe (“stopper”), or perhaps from French bonde, which may itself be either of Germanic origin or from Proto-Celtic *bunda—either way probably from puncta (“hole”), the feminine singular form of Latin punctus, perfect passive participle of pungō (“pierce into, prick”).

noun

1. A stopper, alternative to a cork, often made of rubber, used to prevent fluid passing through the neck of a bottle, vat, a hole in a vessel etc.
   With the heavy seas trying to broach the boat they baled — and eventually found someone had forgotten to put the bung in. 1996, Dudley Pope, Life in Nelson's Navy
   Andre pulled the bung from the top of a barrel, applied a glass tube with a suction device, and withdrew a pale, almost greenish liquid. 2008, Christine Carroll, The Senator's Daughter
2. The cecum or anus, especially of a slaughter animal.
3. (slang) A bribe.
   It is almost a year since Luton Town's manager, Mike Newell, decided that whistle-blowing was no longer the preserve of referees and went public about illegal bungs. December 21, 2006, Leader, “Poorly tackled”, in the Guardian
4. The orifice in the bilge of a cask through which it is filled; bunghole.
5. (obsolete, slang) A sharper or pickpocket.
6. (UK, slang, obsolete) The landlord of a public house.
   "Well, sir, I haven't got one," said the landlord, "or you should have it directly." […] "Could you oblige me with such a thing as a postage stamp?" "No," said the Bung; "don't keep 'em!" 1878, Fun, volumes 27-28, page 11

verb

1. (transitive) To plug, as with a bung.
   It has not yet been ascertained, which is the precise time when it becomes indispensable to bung the cider. The best, I believe, that can be done, is to seize the critical moment which precedes the formation of a pellicle on the surface... 1810, Agricultural Surveys: Worcester (1810)
   Put the wine into a cask, cover up the bung-hole to keep out the dust, and when the hissing sound ceases, bung the hole closely, and leave the wine untouched for twelve months. 2006, A. G. Payne, Cassell's Shilling Cookery
2. (UK, Australia, transitive, informal) To put or throw something without care; to chuck.
   And to sustain us while we watch or read, we go to the freezer, take out a frozen pizza, bung it in the microwave and make do. 2004, Bob Ashley, Food and cultural studies
3. (transitive) To batter, bruise; to cause to bulge or swell.
4. (transitive) To pass a bribe to (someone).

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Yagara bang (“dead”).

adj

1. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Broken, not in working order.
   […] My right eye has gone bung, and my left one is pretty dicky. 1922, Apsley Cherry-Garrard, Karen Oslund (introduction), The Worst Journey in the World, 2004, page 365, The evening we reached the glacier Bowers wrote
   ‘Morning Mrs. Weissnicht. I′ve just heard as how your washing-machine′s gone bung.’ 1953, Eric Linklater, A Year of Space, page 206
   It′s the signal box, the main switchboard, that′s gone bung! 1997, Lin Van Hek, The Ballad of Siddy Church, page 219
   Henry had said, “Half a million bloomin′ acres. A quarter of a million blanky sheep shorn a year, and they can′t keep on two blokes. It′s not because wer′e union, mate. It′s because we′re newchums. Something′s gone bung with this country.” 2006, Pip Wilson, Faces in the Street: Louisa and Henry Lawson and the Castlereagh Street Push, page 9

Etymology 3

From bouget (“wallet, purse or bag”), from Middle English bogett, bouget, bowgette (“leather pouch”), from Old French bougette, diminutive of bouge (“leather bag, wallet”), from Late Latin bulga (“wallet, purse”), from Gaulish bolgā, from Proto-Celtic *bolgos (“sack, bag, stomach”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰólǵʰ-os (“skin bag, bolster”), from *bʰelǵʰ- (“to swell”).

noun

1. (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) A purse.
   Ben mort, shall you and I heave a bough, mill a ken, or nip a bung, and then we'll couch a hogshead under the ruffmans, and there you shall wap with me, and I'll niggle with you. 1611, Thomas Middleton, “The Roaring Girl”, in Arthur Henry Bullen, editor, The Works of Thomas Middleton, volume 4, published 1885, act 5, scene 1, pages 128–129