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plumbing

American  
[pluhm-ing] / ˈplʌm ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the system of pipes and other apparatus for conveying water, liquid wastes, etc., as in a building.

  2. the work or trade of a plumber. plumber.

  3. act of a person who plumbs, as in ascertaining depth.

plumbing British  
/ ˈplʌmɪŋ /

noun

  1. Also called: plumbery.  the trade or work of a plumber

  2. the pipes, fixtures, etc, used in a water, drainage, or gas installation

  3. the act or procedure of using a plumb to gauge depth, a vertical, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of plumbing

First recorded in 1660–70; plumb + -ing 1

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.

I know that not everybody is interested in the precise form of plumbing by which they heat their home, but it's a topic I've become obsessed with.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

During his father’s absences, young Chuck spent part of his childhood in the home of his maternal grandmother in Wilson, Okla., where the family lacked indoor plumbing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Evy is the skeptic who dismisses the noises as either an online hoax or bad plumbing.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

We are also seeing this in the plumbing of payment systems.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

The apartment had cracks in the walls and old plumbing.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

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.