plumber

noun

plumb·​er ˈplə-mər How to pronounce plumber (audio)
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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The film provides an origin story for Mario (Chris Pratt) and his younger brother Luigi (Charlie Day), first seen as regular joe Brooklyn plumbers starting their own business, much to the derision of their former boss, Spike (Sebastian Maniscalco). Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2023 Second Baby Together: 'Beyond Blessed and Grateful' Pratt voices the heroic plumber in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which also features the voices of Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong and more. Lanae Brody, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2023 The game resembled Super Mario, only the main character was not an Italian plumber but a shaggy caveman. Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2023 Lindenman says one set of clients decided to forgo extra bathrooms and wound up having to call a plumber first thing the next morning. Hannah Holland, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2023 And then women account for approximately 11% of construction workers overall, just 2% of electricians, and 1% of plumbers. Amber Burton, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2023 Console Deals Photograph: Nintendo Nintendo Switch Mario Choose One Bundle for $300 In honor of everyone's favorite plumber, Nintendo is releasing this new bundle with special red Joy-Con controllers, plus a digital download of your choice. Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2023 The shop had been updating customers via Instagram throughout the month and had called for leads on commercial plumbers. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Feb. 2023 His father, John, was a plumber. Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plumber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French plummer, plomner, from Latin plumbarius, from plumbum

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plumber was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near plumber

Cite this Entry

“Plumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plumber. Accessed 29 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

plumber

noun
plumb·​er ˈpləm-ər How to pronounce plumber (audio)
: a person who puts in or repairs the pipes and fixtures involved in the distribution and use of water in a building

More from Merriam-Webster on plumber

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