plumbing

noun

plumb·​ing ˈplə-miŋ 

1

: the act of using a plumb

2

: a plumber's occupation or trade

3

a

: the apparatus (such 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 in a Sentence

The house has old plumbing.

Recent Examples on the Web

The company's premise is that the same technology transforming dealmaking on Wall Street can now be deployed for the owner of a regional plumbing company or a family-run restaurant group. — Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Prevent phorid flies by keeping drains clean, fixing plumbing issues, and maintaining low humidity in your home. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 28 June 2026

State data shows the old hospital’s structural systems — including its beams, columns and foundations — didn’t comply with the 2030 requirements, nor do its mechanical, electrical and plumbing components. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 28 June 2026

In 1949, a Nebraska plumbing contractor named Steve Henson was working in Anchorage, Alaska and concocted a salad dressing out of buttermilk, mayonnaise, and herbs to help feed his crew on remote job sites. — Scott Simon, NPR, 27 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing plumbing

• indoor plumbing
• plumbing fixture

Rhymes for plumbing

• coming
• cumming
• drumming
• gumming
• humming
• numbing
• strumming
• summing
• thrumming
• thumbing
• becoming
• forthcoming

Kids Definition

plumbing

noun

plumb·​ing ˈpləm-iŋ 

1

: a plumber's work

2

: a system of pipes for supplying and carrying off water in a building