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

Examples of plumber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But only the most skilled plumbers could easily flush days like Sunday. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 Mark Modrzejewski, of Lowell, is a plumber with Local 210 doing mostly commercial work. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026 Data center construction is becoming an increasingly important source of work for electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, operating engineers and other skilled trades. — Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2026 Trades like plumbers and electricians, Huang has said, will be in high demand as data centers are built across the globe. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plumber

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

Cite this Entry

“Plumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plumber. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

: a person who puts in or repairs the pipes and fixtures involved in the distribution and use of water in a building
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