plumb
gb/plˈʌm/ us/plˈʌm/
B2
English
csőrendszert szerel, függőleges, feltár, mélyére hatol, ólommal mélységet mér, függőón, pontosan, egyenesen, teljesen, totál
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] plumbs [a building/room/system]
They hired a contractor to plumb the new bathroom.
Vállalkozót fogadtak, hogy beszerelje az új fürdőszoba csőrendszerét.
The house was plumbed for gas as well as water.
A házba a víz mellett gázt is bevezettek.
We’re plumbing the extension before the walls go up.
Learner examples
They will plumb the kitchen next week.
Jövő héten szerelik a konyha csőrendszerét.
This house is fully plumbed.
Ebben a házban a teljes víz- és lefolyórendszer ki van építve.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse plumb (install pipes) with plumber (the person who does it).
Meaning
install or repair pipes
Collocations
plumb a house
|plumb a bathroom
|plumb a kitchen
|plumb a new build
|plumb the basement
|plumb a system
|newly plumbed
|professionally plumbed
Synonyms
pipe (More general; can mean fitting pipes for many purposes.)
|
install (Broader; not specific to pipework.)
Antonyms
disconnect (Focuses on undoing a connection rather than installing it.)
Themes
home
|work
|construction
Definition
To put in or fix water pipes in a building.
To install, connect, or repair the pipes and fittings that carry water, gas, or waste in a building.
B2
TECHNICAL
2
függőleges
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] is plumb
The fence posts need to be plumb before the concrete sets.
A kerítésoszlopoknak függőlegesnek kell lenniük, mielőtt megköt a beton.
This corner of the wall isn’t plumb, so the cabinet won’t fit.
A falnak ez a sarka nem függőleges, ezért a szekrény nem fog jól illeszkedni.
Use a level to make sure the frame is plumb.
Learner examples
Make the pole plumb.
Állítsd a rudat függőlegesre.
The door frame is not plumb.
Az ajtókeret nem függőleges.
Common mistake:
Plumb means vertical; level means horizontal.
Meaning
exactly vertical and straight
Collocations
plumb wall
|plumb line
|plumb post
|keep it plumb
|set it plumb
|check if it's plumb
|perfectly plumb
Synonyms
vertical (More common, less trade-specific.)
|
upright (Can also suggest a standing position, not just exact alignment.)
Antonyms
tilted (Not straight up and down.)
|
slanted (At an angle instead of vertical.)
Themes
construction
|tools
Definition
Perfectly straight up and down.
Exactly vertical; perfectly upright and aligned with gravity.
VERB
C1
LITERARY
3
feltár
C1
Usage pattern:
plumb [something] (for [something])
The film tries to plumb the causes of his anger.
A film megpróbálja feltárni a haragja okait.
Researchers are plumbing the data for patterns.
A kutatók az adatokat vizsgálják, hogy mintázatokat tárjanak fel.
She wrote essays that plumbed the contradictions of modern life.
Learner examples
He tried to plumb the meaning of the poem.
Megpróbálta feltárni a vers jelentését.
Common mistake:
Often used in more formal or literary writing; in everyday speech people usually say understand or figure out.
Meaning
understand or explore deeply
Collocations
plumb the mystery
|plumb the meaning
|plumb the reasons
|plumb the mind
|plumb the past
|plumb the truth
|plumb the depths
Synonyms
fathom (Emphasizes understanding; often used with negatives (can’t fathom).)
|
probe (Emphasizes investigation and questioning.)
|
delve (Often used with into; suggests researching or examining details.)
Antonyms
skim (To look at something only superficially.)
|
overlook (To miss or fail to consider something important.)
Themes
learning
|literature
|psychology
Definition
To try to understand something very deeply.
To explore or understand something thoroughly, especially something complex or hidden.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
plumb [water/a channel/a depth]
Before anchoring, they plumbed the depth to make sure it was safe.
Horgonyzás előtt ólommal mélységet mértek, hogy megbizonyosodjanak róla, biztonságos ott lehorgonyozni.
The crew plumbed the channel after the storm shifted the sandbar.
A legénység ólommal megmérte a csatorna mélységét, miután a vihar elmozdította a homokpadot.
Early surveyors plumbed the lake in several places.
Learner examples
They plumbed the water to find its depth.
Ólommal megmérték a víz mélységét.
Meaning
measure depth of water
Collocations
plumb the depth
|plumb the river
|plumb the harbor
|plumb the channel
|plumb the waters
Synonyms
sound (Standard nautical verb for measuring depth.)
|
gauge (More general measuring; not specifically by line.)
Antonyms
guess (Estimate without measuring.)
Themes
nature
|travel
|nautical
Definition
To measure how deep water is.
To measure the depth of water, traditionally by lowering a weighted line until it reaches the bottom.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
függőón
C1
Usage pattern:
a plumb
He dropped a plumb from the beam to mark a straight line on the floor.
Függőónt eresztett le a gerendáról, hogy egyenes vonalat jelöljön ki a padlón.
A plumb is useful when you need a truly vertical reference.
A függőón hasznos, amikor pontosan függőleges irányt kell kijelölni.
Meaning
a weight on a string
Collocations
hang a plumb
|use a plumb
|a heavy plumb
|a brass plumb
Synonyms
plumb bob (More common name for the weight itself.)
Antonyms
level (A different tool/idea (horizontal), not an opposite object.)
Themes
tools
|construction
Definition
A tool weight used to check what is straight up and down.
A weight, usually metal, hung from a string and used to show a true vertical line.
C1
LITERARY
6
Usage pattern:
plumb [adverbial/preposition phrase]
The nail went plumb through the board.
A szög egyenesen átment a deszkán.
The café sits plumb in the center of the square.
A kávézó pont a tér közepén van.
The stone dropped plumb to the bottom.
Learner examples
The shop is plumb in the middle of town.
Az üzlet pont a város közepén van.
Meaning
directly; exactly in a place
Collocations
plumb in the middle
|plumb under
|plumb between
|plumb center
Synonyms
right (Very common; can also mean correct.)
|
directly (More neutral and explicit.)
|
straight (Often suggests an unbroken line or path.)
Antonyms
indirectly (Not in a direct line or position.)
|
off-center (Not exactly in the middle or target position.)
Themes
daily_life
|space_location
Definition
Exactly or directly (in a position).
Directly or exactly; in the precise position or direction mentioned.
C1
INFORMAL
7
Usage pattern:
plumb + [adjective]
By the end of the hike, I was plumb exhausted.
A túra végére teljesen kimerültem.
He was plumb certain he’d locked the door.
Teljesen biztos volt benne, hogy bezárta az ajtót.
That explanation is plumb wrong.
Common mistake:
This use is regional/dialectal; in standard international English, completely or totally is more common.
Meaning
completely; entirely (regional)
Collocations
plumb exhausted
|plumb tired
|plumb crazy
|plumb wrong
|plumb sure
Synonyms
completely (Neutral and widely used.)
|
totally (Common in speech; can sound emphatic.)
|
utterly (Often stronger and more formal.)
Antonyms
partly (Only to some extent.)
|
somewhat (To a moderate degree.)
Themes
daily_life
|emotions
Definition
Completely (used to make an adjective stronger).
Completely or entirely, used as an intensifier (often in informal or regional speech).
Grammar
Dictionary form
plumb
IPA
GB/plˈʌm/
US/plˈʌm/
Syllables & stress
plumb (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (plumb)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: plumb
Noun
- Base: plumb
- Plural: plumbs
Verb
- Base: plumb
- 3rd Person Singular: plumbs
- Present Participle: plumbing
- Past: plumbed
Word family
Forms
plumbs
noun
plumbing
verb
plumbed
verb
Core family
plumber
noun A2
Advanced or less common
unplumbed
adjective
Expressions
out of plumb
1/ˈaʊt əv plˈʌm/
fixed phrase
technical
not vertical or straight
Not straight up and down.
Examples
- The door frame is out of plumb, so the door keeps rubbing.
- If the posts are out of plumb, the whole fence will look crooked.
- The installer fixed the cabinet after noticing it was out of plumb.
Learner examples
- The wall is out of plumb.
plumb in
1/plˈʌm ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
connect to water or drains
To connect something to the water pipes.
Examples
- We had the dishwasher plumbed in under the counter.
- The contractor will plumb in the new sink tomorrow.
- Is the fridge plumbed in for the ice maker?
Learner examples
- They plumbed in the washing machine.
plumb line
1/plˈʌm lˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
technical
string used to check vertical
A string and weight used to check if something is vertical.
Examples
- He used a plumb line to align the corner posts.
- A plumb line is a simple way to find true vertical.
- Drop a plumb line from the ceiling and mark where it lands.
plumb the depths (of something)
1/plˈʌm ðə dˈɛpθs əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
literary
explore the deepest parts
To try to understand something in the deepest way.
Examples
- Her memoir plumbs the depths of grief after a loss.
- The documentary plumbs the depths of political corruption.
- Few novels plumb the depths of loneliness like this one.