Definition of plumber
1 : a dealer or worker in lead
2 : one who installs, repairs, and maintains piping, fittings, and fixtures involved in the distribution and use of water in a building
3 : a person whose job is to prevent or put an end to leaks of sensitive information
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Recent Examples of plumber from the Web
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Most of Ideal's customers are tradespeople, like electricians or plumbers, and the typical baseball fan might not recognize the name, said Jim James, Ideal chairman and CEO.
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Dad’s a union plumber and often works away from home all week.
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Ironically, the plumbers started with legitimate national security interests of plugging leaks in the wake of the Pentagon Papers release, the 1970s equivalent of the WikiLeaks scandals.
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Danny Jackson, a plumber in his 15th year living at Harbor Point Estates, exclaimed.
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The plumbers reject the contention that their opposition was an attempt to protect their livelihoods.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plumber'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of plumber
Middle English, from Anglo-French plummer, plomner, from Latin plumbarius, from plumbum
PLUMBER Defined for English Language Learners
plumber
playDefinition of plumber for English Language Learners
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: a person whose job is to install or repair sinks, toilets, water pipes, etc.
PLUMBER Defined for Kids
plumber
playDefinition of plumber for Students
: a person who installs or repairs plumbing
History for plumber
The word plumber originally meant “person who works with lead.” It comes from a Latin word plumbarius with the same meaning, which is derived from plumbum, “lead.” In the past water pipes in buildings were often made of lead. The plumbers who put in these pipes and took care of them were workers in lead.
Learn More about plumber
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See words that rhyme with plumber Spanish Central: Translation of plumber Nglish: Translation of plumber for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of plumber for Arabic speakers
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