plumbing Definition

plumb
noun

1. A lead weight, usually suspended from a line, used for measuring water depth or for testing a wall, etc for perpendicularity.

adj

1. Straight, vertical or perpendicular.

Thesaurus: straight, perpendicular, vertical, erect.

adverb

1. In a straight, vertical or perpendicular way.

Example: drops plumb to the sea bed
2. colloq
Exactly.
Example: plumb in the middle
(N Amer, especially US)
3. colloq
Utterly.
Example: The guy is plumb crazy

verb plumbed, plumbing

1. To measure the depth of (water) or measure (a depth).

Thesaurus: fathom, measure, gauge, sound, probe.
2. To test (a structure) for verticality or adjust (something) to the vertical.
3. To penetrate, probe or understand (a mystery, etc).
4. To connect (a water-using appliance) to the water supply or waste pipe.

Form: plumb something in (usually)

Idiom: out of plumb

Not vertical.

Idiom: plumb the depths of something

To experience the worst extreme of (a bad feeling, etc).
Example: plumbed the depths of misery

Etymology: 13c: from French plomb, from Latin plumbum lead.

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plumbing
noun

1. The system of water and gas pipes in a building, etc.
2. The work of a plumber.
3. euphemistic
The lavatory.
4. facetious
The human urinary excretory or reproductive systems.