plumb

plumb
\ \ [13] Plumb comes via Old French *plombe from Latin plumbum ‘lead’, a word of uncertain origin. Of its modern English uses, the verbal ‘sound the depths’ comes from the use of a line weighted with lead (a plumb line) to measure the depth of water and the adverbial ‘exactly’ from the use of a similar line to determine verticality. Related words in English include aplomb; plumber [14] (originally simply a ‘worker in lead’, but eventually, since water pipes were once made of lead, a ‘pipe-layer’); plummet [14] (a diminutive form coined in Old French); and plunge [14] (from the Vulgar Latin derivative *plumbicāre ‘sound with a plumb’).
\ \ Cf.⇒ APLOMB, PLUMBER, PLUMMET, PLUNGE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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Synonyms:
(to the horizon), ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • plumb — PLUMB, (1) s.n., (2) plumbi, s.m., (3, 4) plumburi, s.n. 1. s.n. Element chimic metalic, moale şi greu, maleabil, de culoare cenuşie albăstruie, lucios în momentul obţinerii sau când este aşchiat sau pilit proaspăt, rău conducător de căldură şi… …   Dicționar Român

  • Plumb — ist der Familienname von: Charles Henry Plumb, Baron Plumb (*1925), britischer Politiker Edward H. Plumb (1907–1958), US amerikanischer Filmkomponist und Orchestrator Eve Plumb (* 1958), US amerikanische Schauspielerin John H. Plumb (1911–2001),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Plumb — Datos generales Nombre real Tiffany Arbuckle Origen Indianápolis, Indiana, Estados Unidos …   Wikipedia Español

  • Plumb — (pl[u^]m), n. [F. plomb, L. plumbum lead, a leaden ball or bullet; cf. Gr. mo lybos, mo libos, mo lybdos. Cf. {Plummet}, {Plunge}.] A little mass or weight of lead, or the like, attached to a line, and used by builders, etc., to indicate a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Plumb — Пламб Имя при рождении Tiffany Arbuckle Полное имя Тиффани Арбакл Дата рождения 9 марта 1975(1975 03 09 …   Википедия

  • plumb — plumb·able; plumb; plumb·er; plumb·ery; plumb·ing; plumb·less; plumb·ly; plumb·ness; …   English syllables

  • Plumb — Plumb, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Plumbed} (pl[u^]md); p. pr. & vb. n. {Plumbing} (pl[u^]m [i^]ng).] 1. To adjust by a plumb line; to cause to be perpendicular; as, to plumb a building or a wall. [1913 Webster] 2. To sound with a plumb or plummet, as… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • plumb — [plum] n. [ME plumbe < MFr plomb < L plumbum, LEAD2 < non IE source > Gr molybdos] a lead weight (plumb bob) hung at the end of a line (plumb line), used to determine how deep water is or whether a wall, etc. is vertical adj.… …   English World dictionary

  • plumb in — ˌplumb ˈin [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they plumb in he/she/it plumbs in present participle plumbing in past tense …   Useful english dictionary

  • Plumb — may refer to:* Plumb bob, a type of tool * Plumb (singer), a Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter * Plumbing * Plumb, to measure the depth of water with a sounding line * Eve Plumb, an American actress best known for playing Jan Brady on The… …   Wikipedia

  • Plumb — Plumb, a. Perpendicular; vertical; conforming the direction of a line attached to a plumb; as, the wall is plumb. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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