plumber

[ pluhm-er ]
See synonyms for plumber on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person who installs and repairs piping, fixtures, appliances, and appurtenances in connection with the water supply, drainage systems, etc., both in and out of buildings.

  2. Slang. an undercover operative or spy hired to detect or stop leaks of news or secret information, often using questionable or illegal methods, as illegal entry or wiretapping.

  1. Obsolete. a worker in lead or similar metals.

Origin of plumber

1
1375–1425; 1965–70 for def. 2; late Middle English, spelling variant of Middle English plowber ≪ Late Latin plumbārius leadworker; replacing Middle English plummer<Anglo-French; Old French plummier<Latin, as above. See plumb, -er2

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use plumber in a sentence

  • Some plumbers' helpers of today seem to think that joint wiping is of no account.

    Elements of Plumbing | Samuel Dibble
  • Some plumbers carry a can for the tallow, making it cleaner to handle.

    Elements of Plumbing | Samuel Dibble
  • There'll be fishwives, you know, and Socialists and highwaymen and plumbers and reporters and everything.

    Seeing Things at Night | Heywood Broun

British Dictionary definitions for plumber

plumber

/ (ˈplʌmə) /


noun
  1. a person who installs and repairs pipes, fixtures, etc, for water, drainage, and gas

Origin of plumber

1
C14: from Old French plommier worker in lead, from Late Latin plumbārius, from Latin plumbum lead

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012