plunger

American  

[pluhn-jer] / ˈplʌn dʒər /

noun

plungers plural

1. Machinery. a pistonlike reciprocating part moving within the cylinder of a pump or hydraulic device.

2. Automotive. a pistonlike part in the valve of a pneumatic tire.

3. 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.

4. a person or thing that plunges.

5. a reckless bettor or speculator.

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plunger British  

/ ˈplʌndʒə /

noun

1. a rubber suction cup fixed to the end of a rod, used to clear blocked drains

2. a device or part of a machine that has a plunging or thrusting motion; piston

3. informal a reckless gambler

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• plungers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of plunger

First recorded in 1605–15; plunge + -er ¹

Example Sentences

At Amazon.com, the top sellers on Thursday included humidifiers, snow melt products and a $19.99 device called the Paw Plunger, used to clean Fido's paws, the company said.

From Reuters • Mar. 6, 2015

Successive losses brought continued shake-ups in management until 1932, when Plunger Errett Lobban Cord got control after a spectacular proxy battle.

From Time Magazine Archive

Plenty of other monster billfish followed over the years, including a blue weighing 1,195 pounds in Bermuda, a world-record 1,146-pound blue marlin taken on 50-pound tackle and a 1,183-pound blue on the first Super Plunger.

From Time Magazine Archive

Although autographed copies of his Super Plunger lure have sold for more than $800 at auctions, the soft-spoken Yee takes his company's success in modest stride.

From Time Magazine Archive

Paul hurried off, leaving Plunger to digest the scanty information he had given him as best he could.

From The Hero of Garside School by Panting, J. Harwood, (James Harwood)

Related Words

• bettor
• bookie
• bookmaker