noun
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Also called: plumbery. the trade or work of a plumber
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the pipes, fixtures, etc, used in a water, drainage, or gas installation
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the act or procedure of using a plumb to gauge depth, a vertical, etc
Etymology
Origin of plumbing
Explanation
Indoor plumbing is what makes civilization great. Plumbing refers to the pipes that get the water in and the sewage out. If a snake shows up in the toilet, it probably came in through the plumbing. Yikes! You can use the noun plumbing whether you're talking about the bathroom sink, the pipes connected to your dishwasher, or the bathtub drain. A home's heating system often consists of plumbing too. The work of fixing or installing this type of system is also plumbing. The word's earliest meaning was "the weighting of a fishing line," from plumb, originally "to sink like lead," which has the Latin root plumba, or "lead."
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.
If we’re good enough at that, we will hopefully earn enough money to throw money at other problems that come their way: electrics, plumbing, investing, and estate and tax planning.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
Deep within the grey matter is plumbing called the glymphatic system.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Caroline Sabatt bought a Boston-area plumbing business in 2025 and merged it with a smaller one her husband Nat had started.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
As well as Mulan Build and 38fix, there is Diandian Home Solution, an all-women plumbing and furniture assembly service operating in the southern cities of Guangzhou and Kunming.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Ever since single-handedly remodeling our kitchen, Dad has had delusions of plumbing grandeur.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
