plunger
Americannoun
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Machinery. a pistonlike reciprocating part moving within the cylinder of a pump or hydraulic device.
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Automotive. a pistonlike part in the valve of a pneumatic tire.
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Also called plumber's helper. Also called plumber's friend,. Also called force cup. a device consisting of a handle with a rubber suction cup at one end, used as a force pump to free clogged drains and toilet traps.
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a person or thing that plunges.
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a reckless bettor or speculator.
noun
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a rubber suction cup fixed to the end of a rod, used to clear blocked drains
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a device or part of a machine that has a plunging or thrusting motion; piston
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informal a reckless gambler
Etymology
Origin of plunger
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.
Simmons compares the effect to pulling back the plunger on a sealed syringe filled with water.
From Science Daily • May 13, 2026
You can’t just burn you house down and walk away, so you grab a plunger.
From Slate • Apr. 7, 2025
After breaking the Dalek, the Doctor hands a plunger from his Tardis which marks the "origins of the iconic Dalek arm", the Doctor Who official Twitter page said.
From BBC • Nov. 17, 2023
At the speed dating event, she was partnered with Tommy Ashman, 25, an entrepreneur and first-time plunger, and described the ice bath as a bonding experience.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2023
This time George did the holding while Dr. Schultz fastened one of the needles to the plunger.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
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.
