plumb

noun \ ˈpləm \

Updated on: 4 Dec 2017

Definition of plumb

: a lead weight attached to a line and used to indicate a vertical direction

— out of plumb or off plumb

: out of vertical or true

See plumb defined for kids

Recent Examples of plumb from the Web

In other cases, the off-plumb spaces were turned into a narrow alley so that the rest of the parcel would have 90-degree corners.

— richard campanella, NOLA.com, "New Orleans 'Fort-prints': Odd angled properties are relics of city's fortified past," 10 May 2017
Thankfully the technology used today has advanced beyond dangling plumb lines over the side of the ship.

— kyle frischkorn, Smithsonian, "Why The First Complete Map of the Ocean Floor Is Stirring Controversial Waters," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plumb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of plumb

Middle English, from Anglo-French plum, plomb, from Latin plumbum lead

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

plumb

adverb

Definition of plumb

1 : straight down or up : vertically

2 chiefly dialectal : to a complete degree : absolutely

'you're plumb crazy', she remarked, with easy candor
—Harper's Weekly

3 : in a direct manner : exactly; also : without interval of time : immediately

See plumb defined for English-language learners

Examples of plumb in a Sentence

He set the board plumb.
I plumb forgot about the party.

First Known Use of plumb

15th century

plumb Synonyms

Synonyms

dead, direct, due, directly, plump, right, straight, straightway

Antonyms

indirectly

Near Antonyms

circuitously, deviously, veeringly

plumb

verb

Definition of plumb

transitive verb

1 : to weight with lead

2 a : to measure the depth of with a plumb

b : to examine minutely and critically

plumbing the book's complexities

3 : to adjust or test by a plumb line

4 : to seal with lead

[back-formation from plumber]

: to supply with or install as plumbing

intransitive verb

: to work as a plumber

See plumb defined for English-language learners

Examples of plumb in a Sentence

The book plumbs the complexities of human relationships.
a scientist who spent her life plumbing the minds of criminals
The play plumbs the depths of human nature.
The plumber is almost finished plumbing the apartment.
The new house has been wired and plumbed.
All the bathroom fixtures have been plumbed.

Recent Examples of plumb from the Web

The collapse in trading volumes is closely tied to the recent fall in volatility, where measures of daily stock price movements have plumbed multiyear lows.

— riva gold, WSJ, "Beneath the Market Rally: A Lot Less Trading," 19 Oct. 2017
Merkel was speaking in Mainz on the River Rhine on Thursday evening as two polls were released showing support for the Social Democrats led by Martin Schulz plumbing historic lows.

— patrick donahue, Bloomberg.com, "Merkel Warns Against Complacency as Polls Show Rival Fading," 8 Sep. 2017
His early years were spent in a back-alley apartment without plumbing or electricity; an outhouse was shared with two dozen people.

— hillel italie, Washington Post, "Robert Guillaume, star of hit sitcom ‘Benson,’ dies at 89," 24 Oct. 2017
These genomes are only starting to be plumbed for insight on the velvet spider's social behavior and its adaptability.

— elizabeth pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Spider genes put a new spin on arachnids’ potent venoms, stunning silks, and surprising history," 19 Oct. 2017
Mark Trumbull’s cover story this week plumbs the economic side of the term.

— mark sappenfield, The Christian Science Monitor, "Embracing what’s next," 16 Oct. 2017
Each chapter is a thesis of sorts, in which Coates melds personal experience and observation with facts plumbed from history.

— charisse jones, USA TODAY, "Ta-Nehisi Coates tackles Trump, Obama and race in searing new book," 3 Oct. 2017
Investors had been too quick to write this off as Europe’s diesel scandal plumbed new depths this summer.

— stephen wilmot, WSJ, "Why the Automotive Industry Is Betting Big on a Radically Uncertain Future," 21 Sep. 2017
But Ostermann and Hollinger don’t delve much deeper than this in terms of their character psychology, with the back-and-forth cutting not incisive enough to plumb the depths of the possible similarities and contrasts between the two strands.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Krieg': Film Review | Venice 2017," 9 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of plumb

15th century

plumb Synonyms

Synonyms

fathom, ²sound

Related Words

gauge (also gage), scale, span; remeasure, replumb

plumb

adjective

Definition of plumb

1 : exactly vertical or true

2 : thorough, complete

See plumb defined for English-language learners

Examples of plumb in a Sentence

The carpenter made sure that the wall was plumb.
a horror movie that's plumb trash and further evidence of the deterioration of popular culture

Recent Examples of plumb from the Web

In the still air, the rope swing on a nearby maple branch hung straight down, following the plumb line of gravity’s pull.

— barbara damrosch, The Denver Post, "Trellises and other supports that blend into the garden — and sometimes shine," 5 May 2017

First Known Use of plumb

15th century

plumb Synonyms

Synonyms

all-out, arrant, blank, blooming [chiefly British], bodacious [Southern & Midland], categorical (also categoric), clean, complete, consummate, cotton-picking, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, absolute, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very

Antonyms

flat, recumbent

Related Words

authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable; constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting; extreme, unrestricted; confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate; extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific

Near Antonyms

doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

Synonym Discussion of plumb

vertical, perpendicular, plumb mean being at right angles to a base line. vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith.

- the side of the cliff is almost vertical

perpendicular may stress the straightness of a line making a right angle with any other line, not necessarily a horizontal one.

- the parallel bars are perpendicular to the support posts

plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity.

- make sure that the wall is plumb

PLUMB Defined for English Language Learners

plumb

adverb

Definition of plumb for English Language Learners

: exactly straight down or up : in a perfectly vertical position
: to a complete degree

plumb

verb

Definition of plumb for English Language Learners

: to examine (something) in a careful and complete way in order to understand it
: to experience or reach (something)
: to install pipes for sinks, toilets, etc., in (a building or room)

plumb

adjective

Definition of plumb for English Language Learners

: exactly vertical : standing perfectly straight and not leaning in any way

PLUMB Defined for Kids

plumb

noun \ ˈpləm \

Definition of plumb for Students

: a small weight attached to a line and used to show depth or a straight vertical line

plumb

verb

Definition of plumb for Students

plumbed; plumbing

: to measure or test with a plumb

They plumbed the depth of a well.

plumb

adverb

Definition of plumb for Students

1 : exactly straight up and down

2 : completely

I plumb forgot.

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See words that rhyme with plumb Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for plumb Spanish Central: Translation of plumb Nglish: Translation of plumb for Spanish speakers

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plumb

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plumb

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First Known Use of plumb

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PLUMB Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of plumb for English Language Learners

PLUMB Defined for Kids

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