plumb line

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See synonyms for plumb line on Thesaurus.com

noun

a cord with a lead bob attached to one end, used to determine perpendicularity, the depth of water, etc.Compare plumb (def. 1).

plumb rule.

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Origin of plumb line

First recorded in 1530–40

Words nearby plumb line

Plumbicon, plumbiferous, plumbing, plumbism, plumb joint, plumb line, plumbous, plumbous oxide, plumb rule, plumbum, plumcot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use plumb line in a sentence

When I took down the remaining wallpaper in preparation for new wallpaper, I came across all her notes, measurements and marks for plumb lines.
It’s not a matter of if. The walls in these houses do talk, through hidden messages.|John Kelly|September 21, 2021|Washington Post
Domestically, the prime minister maintains the dubious line that he is the only man who can keep the still-fragile peace.
Cambodia’s Smoke-and-Mirrors Democracy|David Shaftel|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Last week I turned 40, a bittersweet occasion because I crossed the line to living longer without my mother than with her.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Completed in 1953 and composed with standard line breaks and punctuation, the book was completely ignored upon submission.
The Lost Novel of Nobel-Winner José Saramago|Charles Shafaieh|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Is it any wonder that the interests of large corporations and unions get to the front of the line?
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the end, the line between magic and religion may be something of an artificial one.
Harry Potter and the Torah of Terror|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In this position, the line of cavalry formed the chord of the arc described by the river, and occupied by us.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Our talk ranged from the Panhandle to the Canada line, while our horses jogged steadily southward.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
I have drawn a Line between the figures at the extream changes, that next below the Line is the extream.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
My station was on the right of the line, where the breastwork, ending in a redoubt, was steep and high.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one bridge across the Elster was not sufficient.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for plumb line

plumb line

noun

a string with a metal weight at one end that, when suspended, points directly towards the earth's centre of gravity and so is used to determine verticality, the depth of water, etc

another name for plumb rule

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

Scientific definitions for plumb line

plumb line

[ plŭm ]

A line regarded as directed exactly toward the Earth's center of gravity.

plumb line

Origin of plumb line

Words nearby plumb line

Words related to plumb line

How to use plumb line in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plumb line

Scientific definitions for plumb line