plumb
See also: Plumb and plumb-
English
Pronunciation
- enPR: plŭm, IPA(key): /plʌm/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌm
- Homophone: plum
Etymology 1
From Middle English plumbe, plumme, from Old French *plombe, from Latin plumba, plural of plumbum.
Adjective
plumb (comparative more plumb, superlative most plumb)
- Truly vertical, as indicated by a plumb line.
- (cricket) Describing an LBW where the batsman is hit on the pads directly in front of their wicket and should be given out.
Synonyms
- (truly vertical): perpendicular
Translations
truly vertical
|
Adverb
plumb (not comparable)
- In a vertical direction; perpendicularly.
- 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the book number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
- Plumb down he drops.
-
- (informal) Squarely, directly; deeply, completely.
- It hit him plumb in the middle of his face.
- Years ago the well plumb dried out, not a drop of water in there since.
- 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 9, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 143:
- 'Are you sure of that, M. Hardman?' 'I'm plumb certain.'.
Translations
in a vertical direction
|
squarely, completely
|
Noun
plumb (plural plumbs)
- A little mass of lead, or the like, attached to a line, and used by builders, etc., to indicate a vertical direction.
- (nautical) A weight on the end of a long line, used by sailors to determine the depth of water.
- The perpendicular direction or position.
Synonyms
- (construction): plummet, plumb bob (UK), plumb line (US)
Derived terms
Derived terms
- off plumb
- out of plumb
- plumb bob
- plumb line
- plumb rule
Translations
mass attached to a line to indicate vertical direction
|
nautical: mass attached to a line to indicate depth
|
Verb
plumb (third-person singular simple present plumbs, present participle plumbing, simple past and past participle plumbed)
- To determine the depth, generally of a liquid; to sound.
- To attach to a water supply and drain.
- (transitive, figurative) To think about or explore in depth, to get to the bottom of, especially to plumb the depths of.
- 2011, Catherine Lanigan, The Texan:
- Delving to the core of her heart, his blue-green eyes plumbed her psyche, stripping it of all defenses, all resolve.
- 2021 May 29, David Hytner, “Chelsea win Champions League after Kai Havertz stuns Manchester City”, in The Guardian:
- The pressure had been on City, on Guardiola, to deliver the trophy that Sheikh Mansour has craved since his takeover in 2008 but it was an occasion when the manager found a new way to lose, to plumb fresh depths of frustration.
-
- To use a plumb bob as a measuring or aligning tool.
- To accurately align vertically or horizontally.
- (dated) To seal something with lead.
- (intransitive) To work as a plumber.
- (rare) To fall or sink like a plummet.
- (US, colloquial, figuratively, obsolete) To trace a road or track; to follow it to its end.
- (nautical) To position vertically above or below.
Translations
to determine the depth
|
to attach to water supply or drain
|
to explore in depth
|
to use plumb bob
|
to accurately align
|
to seal with lead
|
to work as plumber
|
to fall or sink like a plummet
|
to trace a road or track
|
nautical: to position vertically above or below
Noun
plumb (plural plumbs)
- Obsolete form of plum (“the fruit”).
- 1767, Select Essays on Husbandry
- Without attending to sub-divisions, all the pears are of one species, as well as all the apples, plumbs, peaches, cherries, lemons, citrons, oranges […]
- 1767, Select Essays on Husbandry
Albanian
Alternative forms
- plum (Gheg)[1]
Etymology
Borrowed through Vulgar Latin from Latin plumbum (“lead”).[2]
Noun
plumb m (definite singular plumbi)
- lead (metal)
- bullet
Declension
declension of plumb
| indefinite forms | definite forms | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | plumb | plumbi | |
| accusative | plumb | plumbin | |
| genitive (i/e/të/së) | plumbi | plumbit | |
| dative | plumbi | plumbit | |
| ablative | plumbi | plumbit |
References
- Fialuur i voghel Sccyp e ltinisct (Small Dictionary of Albanian and Latin), page 109, by P. Jak Junkut, 1895, Sckoder
- Orel, Vladimir (1998), “plumb”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Cologne: Brill, →ISBN, page 336
Romanian
| Chemical element | |
|---|---|
| Pb | |
| Previous: taliu (Tl) | |
| Next: bismut (Bi) | |
Etymology
From Latin plumbum (“lead”).
Noun
plumb n (uncountable)
- lead (metal)
- Plumbul este otrăvitor pentru oameni.
- Lead is poisonous to humans.
- lead (chemical element)
Declension
declension of plumb (singular only)
| singular | ||
|---|---|---|
| n gender | indefinite articulation | definite articulation |
| nominative/accusative | (un) plumb | plumbul |
| genitive/dative | (unui) plumb | plumbului |
| vocative | plumbule | |
Derived terms
- plumburiu
- plumbui
- plumbos
Related terms
- plumbar
Noun
plumb m (plural plumbi)
- bullet, projectile
Declension
Declension of plumb
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
| nominative/accusative | (un) plumb | plumbul | (niște) plumbi | plumbii |
| genitive/dative | (unui) plumb | plumbului | (unor) plumbi | plumbilor |
| vocative | plumbule | plumbilor | ||
Synonyms
- glonț
Noun
plumb n (plural plumburi)
- (dated, chiefly Moldavia) pencil
Declension
Declension of plumb
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
| nominative/accusative | (un) plumb | plumbul | (niște) plumburi | plumburile |
| genitive/dative | (unui) plumb | plumbului | (unor) plumburi | plumburilor |
| vocative | plumbule | plumburilor | ||
Synonyms
- creion