| 释义 |
plumb
I. \ˈpləm\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English plom, plum, plumbe, from (assumed) Old French plomb lead, plummet (whence Middle French plomb), from Old French plon lead, from Latin plumbum, of non-Indo-European origin; akin to the source of Greek molybos lead, Basque berun
1. : a little mass or weight of lead or other heavy material (as brass) attached to a line and used to indicate a vertical direction : plummet, plumb bob
2.
a. : a lead or other weight: as
(1) : a mariner's sounding lead
(2) : a fishline sinker
(3) : a sinker used to sound a stream or lake
(4) : a clock weight
b. : a missile of lead
•
- out of plumb
II. adverb
also plum \“\
Etymology: Middle English plum, from plom, plum, plumbe, n.
1. : straight down or occasionally up : vertically
2. : directly, exactly; also : immediately
3. chiefly dialect : completely, absolutely, utterly
III. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English plomen, from plom, plum, plumbe, n.
transitive verb
1. : to weight with lead
2.
a. : to sound with a plumb; also : to measure the depth of (as water) by sounding
b. : to ascertain a quality (as depth, dimension, propriety) of : examine minutely and critically
< plumb one's motives >
< there were depths … beneath the story that he had never plumbed — Van Wyck Brooks >
c. : to reach the nadir of
< plumbing that abyss of misery >
3.
a. : to adjust or test by a plumb line : cause to be perpendicular
< plumb a wall >
b. : to be or make perpendicular to
4. : to seal with or as if with lead
< plumb a joint >
< luggage plumbed by the customs inspector >
5. [back-formation from plumber]
a. : to supply with a system of plumbing
< plumb a new house >
b. : to work upon (something) as a plumber : install as part of a system of plumbing
< had a friend plumb his sink >
intransitive verb
1. : to hang or fall vertically : be perpendicular
< the chimney plumbs perfectly >
2. [back-formation from plumber] : to work as a plumber : do plumbing
IV. adjective
also plum \“\
Etymology: Middle English plom, from plom, plum, plumbe, n.
1.
a. : conforming to the direction of a line attached to a plumb
< the wall is plumb >
b. : perfectly true : level and smooth — used of a cricket wicket
2. : downright, complete, absolute
Synonyms: see vertical
V.
dialect
variant of plump
VI.
dialect chiefly England
variant of plum II |