plumb
English edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle English plumbe, plumme, from Old French *plombe, from Latin plumba, plural of plumbum.
Adjective edit
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 edit
- (truly vertical): perpendicular
Translations edit
truly vertical
Adverb edit
plumb (not comparable)
- In a vertical direction; perpendicularly.
- 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the book number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- 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.'.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
in a vertical direction
|
squarely, completely
Noun edit
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 edit
- (construction): plummet, plumb bob (UK), plumb line (US)
Derived terms edit
Derived terms
Translations edit
mass attached to a line to indicate vertical direction
nautical: mass attached to a line to indicate depth
Verb edit
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[1]:
- 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 edit
to determine the depth
|
to attach to water supply or drain
|
to explore in depth
|
to use plumb bob
|
to accurately align
|
to work as plumber
|
nautical: to position vertically above or below
Etymology 2 edit
Noun edit
plumb (plural plumbs)
Albanian edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed through Vulgar Latin from Latin plumbum (“lead”).[2]
Noun edit
plumb m (definite plumbi)
Declension edit
Declension of plumb
References edit
- ^ Fialuur i voghel Sccyp e ltinisct (Small Dictionary of Albanian and Latin), page 109, by P. Jak Junkut, 1895, Sckoder
- ^ Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “plumb”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 336
Romanian edit
Chemical element | |
---|---|
Pb | |
Previous: taliu (Tl) | |
Next: bismut (Bi) |
Etymology edit
Inherited from Latin plumbum (“lead”).
Noun edit
plumb n (uncountable)
- lead (metal)
- Plumbul este otrăvitor pentru oameni.
- Lead is poisonous to humans.
- lead (chemical element)
Declension edit
declension of plumb (singular only)
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Noun edit
plumb m (plural plumbi)
Declension edit
Declension of plumb
Synonyms edit
Noun edit
plumb n (plural plumburi)
Declension edit
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 |