plumbing

plumb·ing

noun \ˈplə-miŋ\

Definition of PLUMBING

1

: the act of using a plumb

2

: a plumber's occupation or trade

3

a : the apparatus (as pipes and fixtures) concerned in the distribution and use of water in a building

b : an internal system that resembles plumbing; especially : one consisting of conduits or channels for conveying fluids

Examples of PLUMBING

1. The house has old plumbing.

First Known Use of PLUMBING

1666

Rhymes with PLUMBING

coming, numbing

plumbing

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

The basic components of a plumbing fixture include the water-supply pipes, a valve or faucet for …—© Merriam-Webster Inc.

System of pipes and fixtures installed in a building for the distribution of potable water and the removal of waterborne wastes. Plumbing is usually distinguished from water and sewage systems, which serve a group of buildings or a city. Improvement in plumbing systems was very slow, with virtually no progress made from the time of the Roman system of aqueducts and lead pipes until the 19th century. Eventually the development of separate, underground water and sewage systems eliminated open sewage ditches. Present-day water pipes are usually made of steel, copper, brass, plastic, or other nontoxic material. A building's waste-disposal system has two parts: the drainage system and the venting system. The drainage portion comprises pipes leading from various fixture drains to the central main, which is connected to the sewage system. The venting system consists of pipes leading from an air inlet (usually on the roof) to various points within the drainage system; by providing the circulation of air within the system, it protects the trap seals of fixtures from siphonage and back pressure. See also sewage system, water pollution, water-supply system.