plumb

plural plumbs

1. A little mass of lead, or the like, attached to a line, and used by builders, etc., to indicate a vertical direction.
2. nauticalA weight on the end of a long line, used by sailors to determine the depth of water.
3. The perpendicular direction or position.

   Customers turned away from rickety chairs, stands of drawers that refused to open, or had no handles, lop-sided wardrobes whose doors were out of plumb or whose mirrors were cracked.

   1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 61

comparative more plumb · superlative most plumb

1. Truly vertical, as indicated by a plumb line.

   Synonyms: perpendicular

2. ball gamesDescribing an LBW where the batsman is hit on the pads directly in front of their wicket and should be given out.

1. not comparableIn a vertical direction; perpendicularly.

   Plumb down he drops.

   1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

2. informalnot comparableSquarely, directly; deeply, completely.

   It hit him plumb in the middle of his face.

   2 more examples

   Years ago the well plumb dried out, not a drop of water in there since.

   'Are you sure of that, M. Hardman?' 'I'm plumb certain.'.

   1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 9, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 143

present singular third person plumbs · participle present plumbing · participle past plumbed · past plumbed

1. To determine the depth, generally of a liquid; to sound.
2. To attach to a water supply and drain.

   The kitchen sink is now plumbed in / up.

3. figurativelytransitiveTo think about or explore in depth, to get to the bottom of.

   to plumb the depths of

   2 more examples

   Delving to the core of her heart, his blue-green eyes plumbed her psyche, stripping it of all defenses, all resolve.

   2011, Catherine Lanigan, The Texan

   The pressure had been on City, on Guardiola, to deliver the trophy that Sheikh Mansour has craved since his takeover in 2008 but it was an occasion when the manager found a new way to lose, to plumb fresh depths of frustration.

   2021 May 29, David Hytner, “Chelsea win Champions League after Kai Havertz stuns Manchester City”, in The Guardian

4. To use a plumb bob as a measuring or aligning tool.
5. To accurately align vertically or horizontally.
6. datedTo seal something with lead.
7. intransitiveTo work as a plumber.

   Synonyms: plumber

8. rareTo fall or sink like a plummet.
9. UScolloquialfigurativelyobsoleteTo trace a road or track; to follow it to its end.
10. nauticalTo position vertically above or below.

plural plumbs

1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of plum (“the fruit”).

   Without attending to sub-divisions, all the pears are of one species, as well as all the apples, plumbs, peaches, cherries, lemons, citrons, oranges […]

   1767, Select Essays on Husbandry

plural Plumbs

1. A surname.