plumber

Pluralplumbers

Formsplumbers, plumbering, plumbered

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A worker who fits and fixes water pipes, gas pipes, and drains.

   Like a doctor for the pipes in your home.

   We called a plumber to fix the leaking pipe under the sink.

   The plumber installed a new water heater in the basement.

2. 2
   nouncountable

   A worker who puts in the pipes that bring clean water in and carry waste water away.

   The plumber ran new pipes for fresh water to the kitchen.

   A good plumber makes sure clean water and dirty water never mix.

3. 3
   nouncountable

   A person whose job is to find and stop secret information from getting out.

   The company hired a plumber to find out who was leaking secrets to reporters.

   Every plumber on the team watched for staff sharing private files.

   Note
4. 4
   verbcolloquialintransitive

   To do the job of fitting and fixing pipes.

   He learned to plumber from his father.

   Joe Staudinger plumbered so well that on Saturday night boiling water came from both hot and cold faucets.

   1939, “Nordenotes”, in Sierra Club YodelerHere, plumbered means did the work of fitting and fixing pipes.

   Note
5. 5
   verbcolloquialtransitive

   To do a plumber's work on something, such as fixing its pipes.

   They asked him to plumber the old farmhouse before winter.

   She plumbers houses all over the valley.

   Similarplumb

   Note
6. 6
   verbcolloquialtransitive

   To put pipes and water fittings into a building.

   The builders will plumber the new kitchen next week.

   The silver grey timbers he turned inside out or rather put the weathered side in, heated and plumbered the place and, with his freezing apparatus can live off his chickens, ducks and garden-produce all the year round.

   1943, Oliver St. John Gogarty, letter to Martha Gogarty; quoted in J[ohn] B[enignus] LyonsHere, plumbered means put pipes and water fittings into the place.

   Similarplumb, pipe

   Note
7. 7
   verbslangUStransitive

   To mess something up so badly that it is ruined.

   Don't let him plumber the whole project with his rushing.

   She plumbered the recipe by dumping in too much salt.

   Similarruin, spoil, botch, wreck, bungle

   Oppositesalvage, fix

   Note
8. 8
   nounslangderogatorycountable

   A rude, joking word for a doctor who treats problems with peeing and the bladder.

   She said she was going to see the plumber about her kidney stones.

   The old men in the ward swore by their plumber after their surgeries.

   Similarurologist

   Note
9. 9
   verbslangtransitive

   To make or work out something, often with effort or cleverness.

   They managed to plumber a plan to escape the city.

   The other afternoon Silly here pilfered a melody from the classics, threw a little jazz at it and I plumbered some words. I got a copy of them with me now. Grab this while it’s hot, Joe.

   1925, C[arleton] S[tevens] Montanye, “Swan’s Song”Here, plumbered means worked out or put together, with some effort.

   Similarcontrive, concoct, devise, engineer, rig

   Note
10. 10
    nouncolloquialBritishcountable

    In the British Navy, a teenage boy training to become a skilled mechanic.

    The young plumber reported to the Dockyard School every morning.

    Each plumber spent two years learning his trade before joining a ship.

    Similarapprentice

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