plumb

1 of 4

noun

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

plumb

2 of 4

adverb

1
: straight down or up : vertically
2
chiefly dialectal : to a complete degree : absolutely
'you're plumb crazy', she remarked, with easy candorHarper's Weekly
3
: in a direct manner : exactly
also : without interval of time : immediately

plumb

3 of 4

verb

plumbed; plumbing; plumbs

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
5
[back-formation from plumber] : to supply with or install as plumbing

intransitive verb

: to work as a plumber

plumb

4 of 4

adjective

1
: exactly vertical or true
2
Phrases
out of plumb or off plumb
: out of vertical or true
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of plumb in a Sentence

Adverb He set the board plumb. I plumb forgot about the party. Verb 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. Adjective 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 on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
This is the first piece in an investigative series produced by Mother Jones, the Center for Public Integrity, and Reveal that plumbs what was a radical reparations effort swiftly undone by white powerbrokers. Seyward Darby, Longreads, 10 Sep. 2024 Perhaps that's because there is nothing left to plumb. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2024
Verb
In other examples, brands—such as Chanel, Chopard, Czapek and Toledano & Chan—have plumbed their own artisanal capabilities to create pieces that lie at the intersection of art and science. Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2024 Sivan, meanwhile, has only plumbed deeper, exploring his queerness by leaning into sexuality and the erotic charge of masculine and feminine tropes. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Still, overall the film is beautiful and respectful towards its subjects, capturing the psychology of people who choose to risk their lives to plumb unexplored depths. Janey Tracey, EW.com, 23 May 2024 It’s considered one of the plumb time-slots in all of TV — people always seem willing to see what’s on after the football’s over. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plumb 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plumb was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near plumb

Cite this Entry

“Plumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plumb. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

plumb

1 of 4 noun
: a weight attached to a line especially to show a vertical direction or distance

plumb

2 of 4 adverb
1
: straight down or up : vertically
2
chiefly dialect : to a complete degree : absolutely
3
: in a direct manner : exactly

plumb

3 of 4 verb
1
: to measure, adjust, or test with a plumb
plumb a wall
plumb the depth of the well
2
: to see into and come to understand
plumbed their motives

plumb

4 of 4 adjective
: exactly vertical or true
the wall is plumb

More from Merriam-Webster on plumb

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!