Meaning & use
plumb
Last updated
To examine or explore something deeply and thoroughly, or to be exactly vertical.
See it in a sentence
The documentary tries to plumb the depths of human cruelty during the war.
The carpenter used a plumb line to make sure the wall was perfectly vertical.
A note on using this word
As an adverb, 'plumb' can also mean 'completely,' as in the informal American phrase 'plumb crazy.'
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Exactly vertical or perpendicular.
The mason checked that the wall was plumb before adding another row of bricks.
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