plumber
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
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Obsolete. a worker in lead or similar metals.
noun
Etymology
Origin of plumber
1375–1425; 1965–70 plumber 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, -er 2
Explanation
A plumber is someone whose job includes fixing pipes and installing water and sewage systems. If your kitchen sink is clogged, a plumber is the person to call. Plumbers's work ranges from relatively simple tasks like repairing toilets and removing clogs from drains, to much more complicated jobs including replacing all the old corroded pipes in a bathroom floor with new ones. The word plumber has been around since ancient Rome, when a plumber was "anyone who works with lead," and lead was a common material for pipes, baths, drains, and conduits. Fixing anything made of lead (which included roofs) made someone a plumber back then.
Vocabulary lists containing plumber
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Robert Kenyon, a self-employed plumber, has been confirmed as Reform's official candidate for the upcoming contest in in Greater Manchester.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Freddie Couples used to roll out of bed and find the Masters Top 10 like a plumber fixing a sink.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Everybody’s favorite fearless and super capable princess is back for another adventure — along with the denizens of her kingdom and a pair of New York plumber brothers — in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Orban's childhood friend Lorinc Meszaros, a former plumber, has become Hungary's wealthiest man worth $4.8 billion according to Forbes magazine, with an empire of construction, energy, banking and media firms thriving on public contracts.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
She correctly surmises that he is a plumber.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
