-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Examples of plumb bob in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Possible uses included: a plumb bob or a loom weight, a liquid sprinkler, a fire starter, a lamp, a smoking pipe, or parts of an apparatus for distillation.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 May 2022
Where many competitors use surveying equipment that’s accurate to within a thousandth of a degree to orient their robots on startup, Coordinated often relies on a plumb bob (cost: a few bucks).
—Tom Vanderbilt, Wired, 1 Feb. 2022
For holes deeper than three feet, drop a plumb bob (a conical weight attached to a string) into it to give you some sense whether the hole itself is plumb and uniformly shaped.
—Ryan D'agostino, Popular Mechanics, 24 Oct. 2020
For a long time, the tools used to measure medieval buildings were nearly as old as the buildings themselves: plumb bobs, string, rulers, and pencils.
—Andrew Tallon, National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019
The plumb bob will hang at the angle reading for your latitude.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 3 May 2018
Accurate to within 1/4 of an inch per 100 feet of range, the kit comes with a tripod with quick-adjust legs, a heavy-duty 8-foot aluminum grade rod (feet-inches-eighths), a plumb bob, and a kit box to safeguard the laser during transport.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 17 Jan. 2018
Cake pans, coffee pots, cash registers, and a white ElectroChef stove appeared amid scientific instruments such as steel calipers and a brass plumb bob.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1836, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near plumb bob
Cite this Entry
“Plumb bob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plumb%20bob. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
plumb bob
noun
: the metal bob of a plumb line
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share