plumb

¹plumb

noun \ˈpləm\

Definition of PLUMB

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

— out of plumb or off plumb

: out of vertical or true

Origin of PLUMB

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

Rhymes with PLUMB

bum, chum, come, crumb, cum, drum, dumb, from, glum, gum, hum, lum, mum, numb, plum, rum, scrum, scum, slum, some, strum, sum, them, thrum, thumb

²plumb

adverb

Definition of PLUMB

1

: straight down or up : vertically

2

chiefly dialect : to a complete degree : absolutely <‘you're plumb crazy’, she remarked, with easy candor — Harper's Weekly>

3

: in a direct manner : exactly; also : without interval of time : immediately

Examples of PLUMB

1. He set the board plumb.
2. I plumb forgot about the party.

First Known Use of PLUMB

15th century

Related to PLUMB

Synonyms

dead, direct, due, directly, plump, right, straight, straightway

Antonyms

indirectly

Related Words

absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly; basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly, overall, predominantly, predominately, primarily, principally, substantially; abundantly, copiously, generously, greatly

Near Antonyms

circuitously, deviously, veeringly

³plumb

verb

Definition of PLUMB

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

Examples of PLUMB

1. The book plumbs the complexities of human relationships.
2. a scientist who spent her life plumbing the minds of criminals
3. The play plumbs the depths of human nature.
4. The plumber is almost finished plumbing the apartment.
5. The new house has been wired and plumbed.
6. All the bathroom fixtures have been plumbed.

First Known Use of PLUMB

15th century

Related to PLUMB

Synonyms

fathom, ²sound

Related Words

gauge (also gage), scale, span; remeasure, replumb

⁴plumb

adjective

Definition of PLUMB

1

: exactly vertical or true

2

: thorough, complete

Examples of PLUMB

1. The carpenter made sure that the wall was plumb.
2. <a horror movie that's plumb trash and further evidence of the deterioration of popular culture>

First Known Use of PLUMB

15th century

Related to PLUMB

Synonyms

all-out, arrant, blank, blooming [chiefly British], bodacious [Southern & Midland], categorical (also categoric), clean, complete, consummate, cotton-picking, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, absolute, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very

Antonyms

flat, recumbent

Related Words

authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable; constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting; extreme, unrestricted; confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate; extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific

Near Antonyms

doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

See Synonym Discussion at vertical