- Also called: plumbery the trade or work of a plumber
- the pipes, fixtures, etc, used in a water, drainage, or gas installation
- the act or procedure of using a plumb to gauge depth, a vertical, etc
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
plumb•ing /ˈplʌmɪŋ/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Buildingthe system of pipes, drains, etc., for carrying water, liquid wastes, etc., as in a building:several leaks in the old plumbing.
- Buildingthe work or trade of a plumber.
plumb•ing
(plum′ing),USA pronunciation n.
- Buildingthe system of pipes and other apparatus for conveying water, liquid wastes, etc., as in a building.
- Buildingthe work or trade of a plumber.
- act of a person who plumbs, as in ascertaining depth.
- plumb + -ing1 1660–70
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
plumbing /ˈplʌmɪŋ/ n
plumb /plʌm/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
adj.
adv.
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Building, Surveyinga small mass of lead hung on a line and used to measure the depth of water or to make sure a line is straight up and down.
adj.
- true according to a plumb line;
perpendicular.
adv.
- in a perpendicular direction.
- exactly, precisely, or directly:The last shot landed plumb in the hole for a birdie.
- Informal Termscompletely or absolutely:He was plumb stupid.
v. [~ + object]
- Buildingto test or adjust by a plumb line, so as to make (something) vertical.
- to examine closely:to plumb the poem's meaning.
- plumb the depths of, [~ + object] to experience (something) fully:plumbed the depths of despair.
plumb
(plum),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
adv.
v.t.
v.i.
plumb′a•ble, adj.
plumb′less, adj.
plumb′ness, n.
Plumb (plum),USA pronunciation n.
- Building, Surveyinga small mass of lead or other heavy material, as that suspended by a line and used to measure the depth of water or to ascertain a vertical line. Cf. plumb line.
- Idioms out of or off plumb, not corresponding to the perpendicular;
out of true.
adj.
- true according to a plumb line;
perpendicular. - Informal Termsdownright or absolute.
adv.
- in a perpendicular or vertical direction.
- exactly, precisely, or directly.
- Informal Termscompletely or absolutely:She was plumb mad. You're plumb right.
v.t.
- Buildingto test or adjust by a plumb line.
- to make vertical.
- Nautical, Naval Terms[Shipbuilding.]horn (def. 35).
- Nautical, Naval Termsto sound with or as with a plumb line.
- Nautical, Naval Termsto measure (depth) by sounding.
- to examine closely in order to discover or understand:to plumb someone's thoughts.
- Buildingto seal with lead.
- Buildingto weight with lead.
- Buildingto provide (a house, building, apartment, etc.) with plumbing.
v.i.
- Buildingto work as a plumber.
- Vulgar Latin *plumba, for Latin plumbum lead
- Anglo-French *plombe
- Middle English plumbe, probably 1250–1300
plumb′less, adj.
plumb′ness, n.
- 3. vertical, straight, square.
Plumb (plum),USA pronunciation n.
- Biographical J(ohn) H(arold), born 1911, British historian.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
plumb /plʌm/ n
- a weight, usually of lead, suspended at the end of a line and used to determine water depth or verticality
- the perpendicular position of a freely suspended plumb line (esp in the phrases out of plumb, off plumb)
- in a vertical or perpendicular line
- informal chiefly US (intensifier): plumb stupid
- informal exactly; precisely (also in the phrase plumb on)
- (transitive) often followed by up: to test the alignment of or adjust to the vertical with a plumb line
- (transitive) to undergo or experience (the worst extremes of misery, sadness, etc): to plumb the depths of despair
- (transitive) to understand or master (something obscure): to plumb a mystery
- to connect or join (a device such as a tap) to a water pipe or drainage system
'plumbing' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
clean out
- pipefitting
- piping
- plumbery
- unplumbed
- back vent
- bibb
- bibcock
- boss
- code
- coupling
- crawlspace
- cross
- crossover
- drop elbow
- drop tee
- duct tape
- elbow
- examination
- feckless
- ferrule
- flange
- grozing iron
- increaser
- invert
- joint runner
- plumb
- pot metal
- quarter bend
- reducer
- return bend
- roughing-in
- rust joint
- tinker's dam
- vent pipe
- waste pipe
- wipe
- safe
- sanitary ware
- seal
- snake
- soil stack