Plumb Plumb (plŭm)
noun [ French
plomb , Latin
plumbum lead, a leaden ball or bullet; confer Greek
mo`lybos ,
mo`libos ,
mo`lybdos . Confer
Plummet ,
Plunge .]
A little mass or weight of lead, or the like, attached to a line, and used by builders, etc., to indicate a vertical direction; a plummet; a plumb bob. See Plumb line , below. Plumb bob .
See Bob , 4. --
Plumb joint ,
in sheet-metal work, a lap joint, fastened by solder. --
Plumb level .
See under Level . --
Plumb line .
(a) The cord by which a plumb bob is suspended; a plummet .
(b) A line directed to the center of gravity of the earth. --
Plumb rule ,
a narrow board with a plumb line, used by builders and carpenters.
Plumb Plumb adjective Perpendicular; vertical; conforming the direction of a line attached to a plumb; as, the wall is plumb .
Plumb Plumb adverb In a plumb direction; perpendicularly. "
Plumb down he falls."
Milton.
Plumb Plumb transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Plumbed (plŭmd);
present participle & verbal noun Plumbing (plŭm"ĭng).]
1. To adjust by a plumb line; to cause to be perpendicular; as, to plumb a building or a wall. 2. To sound with a plumb or plummet, as the depth of water; hence, to examine by test; to ascertain the depth, quality, dimension, etc.; to sound; to fathom; to test. He did not attempt to plumb his intellect.
Ld. Lytton. 3. To seal with lead; as, to plumb a drainpipe. 4. To supply, as a building, with a system of plumbing.
Plumbage Plumb"age (plŭm"aj; 48)
noun Leadwork [ R.]
Plumbagin Plum·ba"gin (plŭm*bā"jĭn)
noun [ Latin
plumbago leadwort, from
plumbum lead; confer French
plombagin .]
(Chemistry) A crystalline substance said to be found in the root of a certain plant of the Leadwort ( Plumbago ) family.
Plumbagineous Plum`ba·gin"e·ous (plŭm`bȧ*jĭn"e*ŭs)
adjective (Botany) Pertaining to natural order ( Plumbagineę ) of gamopetalous herbs, of which Plumbago is the type. The order includes also the marsh rosemary, the thrift, and a few other genera.
Plumbaginous Plum·bag"i·nous adjective Resembling plumbago; consisting of, or containing, plumbago; as, a plumbaginous slate.
Plumbago Plum·ba"go noun [ Latin , from
plumbum lead.]
1. (Min.) Same as Graphite . 2. (Botany) A genus of herbaceous plants with pretty salver-shaped corollas, usually blue or violet; leadwort.
Plumbean, Plumbeous Plum"be·an, Plum"be·ous adjective [ Latin
plumbeus , from
plumbum the metal lead.]
1. Consisting of, or resembling, lead. J. Ellis. 2. Dull; heavy; stupid. [ R.]
J. P. Smith.
Plumber Plumb"er noun [ French
plombier . See
Plumb .]
One who works in lead; esp., one who furnishes, fits, and repairs lead, iron, or glass pipes, and other apparatus for the conveyance of water, gas, or drainage in buildings.
Plumber block Plumb"er block` A pillow block.
Plumbery Plumb"er·y noun [ French
plomberie .]
1. The business of a plumber. [ Obsolete]
2. A place where plumbing is carried on; lead works.
Plumbic Plum"bic adjective [ From
Plumbum .]
(Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, resembling, or containing, lead; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which it has a higher valence as contrasted with plumbous compounds; as, plumbic oxide.
Plumbiferous Plum·bif"er·ous adjective [
Plumbum +
-ferous .]
Producing or containing lead. Kirwan.
Plumbing Plumb"ing noun 1. The art of casting and working in lead, and applying it to building purposes; especially, the business of furnishing, fitting, and repairing pipes for conducting water, sewage, etc. Gwilt. 2. The lead or iron pipes, and other apparatus, used in conveying water, sewage, etc., in a building.
Plumbism Plum"bism noun [ From
Plumbum .]
(Medicine) A diseased condition, produced by the absorption of lead, common among workers in this metal or in its compounds, as among painters, typesetters, etc. It is characterized by various symptoms, as lead colic, lead line, and wrist drop. See under Colic , Lead , and Wrist .
Plumbous Plum"bous adjective [ From
Plumbum .]
(Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or containing, lead; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which it has a lower valence as contrasted with plumbic compounds.
Plumbum Plum"bum noun [ Latin ]
(Chemistry) The technical name of lead. See Lead .
Plumcot Plum"cot noun [
Plum + apri
cot .]
(Hort.) A cross between the plum and apricot.
Plume Plume noun [ French, from Latin
pluma . Confer
Fly ,
v. ]
1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or a long, conspicuous, or handsome feather. Wings . . . of many a colored plume .
Milton. 2. (Zoology) An ornamental tuft of feathers. 3. A feather, or group of feathers, worn as an ornament; a waving ornament of hair, or other material resembling feathers. His high plume , that nodded o'er his head.
Dryden. 4. A token of honor or prowess; that on which one prides himself; a prize or reward. "Ambitious to win from me some
plume ."
Milton. 5. (Botany) A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large ornamental grasses. Plume bird (Zoology) ,
any bird that yields ornamental plumes, especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of Florida ( Ardea candidissima ). --
Plume grass .
(Bot) (a) A kind of grass ( Erianthus saccharoides ) with the spikelets arranged in great silky plumes, growing in swamps in the Southern United States .
(b) The still finer E. Ravennę from the Mediterranean region. The name is sometimes extended to the whole genus. --
Plume moth (Zoology) ,
any one of numerous small, slender moths, belonging to the family Pterophoridę . Most of them have the wings deeply divided into two or more plumelike lobes. Some species are injurious to the grapevine. --
Plume nutmeg (Botany) ,
an aromatic Australian tree ( Atherosperma moschata ), whose numerous carpels are tipped with long plumose persistent styles.
Plume Plume transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Plumed ;
present participle & verbal noun Pluming .] [ Confer French
plumer to pluck, to strip, Latin
plumare to cover with feathers.]
1. To pick and adjust the plumes or feathers of; to dress or prink. Pluming her wings among the breezy bowers.
W. Irving. 2. To strip of feathers; to pluck; to strip; to pillage; also, to peel. [ Obsolete]
Bacon. Dryden. 3. To adorn with feathers or plumes. "Farewell the
plumed troop."
Shak. 4. To pride; to vaunt; to boast; -- used reflexively; as, he plumes himself on his skill. South. Plumed adder (Zoology) ,
an African viper ( Vipera, or Clotho cornuta ), having a plumelike structure over each eye. It is venomous, and is related to the African puff adder. Called also horned viper and hornsman . --
Plumed partridge (Zoology) ,
the California mountain quail ( Oreortyx pictus ). See Mountain quail , under Mountain .
Plumeless Plume"less adjective Without plumes.
Plumelet Plume"let noun [
Plume +
- let .]
A small plume. When rosy plumelets tuft the larch.
Tennyson.
Plumery Plum"er·y noun Plumes, collectively or in general; plumage. [ R.]
Southey.
Plumicorn Plu"mi·corn noun [ Latin
pluma feather +
cornu horn.]
(Zoology) An ear tuft of feathers, as in the horned owls.
Plumigerous Plu·mig"er·ous adjective [ Latin
plumiger ;
pluma a feather +
gerere to bear.]
Feathered; having feathers. Bailey
Plumiliform Plu·mil"i·form adjective [ Latin
plumula , or
plumella a little feather (dim. of
pluma feather) +
-form .]
Having the of a plume or feather. [ R.]
Plumiped Plu"mi·ped adjective [ Latin
plumipes ,
-edis ;
pluma a feather +
pes : confer French
plumipčde .]
(Zoology) Having feet covered with feathers. --
noun A plumiped bird.
Plummet Plum"met noun [ Middle English
plommet , Old French
plommet , from
plom ,
plum , lead, French
plomb . See
Plumb .]
1. A piece of lead attached to a line, used in sounding the depth of water. I'll sink him deeper than e'er plummet sounded.
Shak. 2. A plumb bob or a plumb line. See under Plumb , noun 3. Hence, any weight. 4. A piece of lead formerly used by school children to rule paper for writing. Plummet line ,
a line with a plummet; a sounding line.
Plumming Plum"ming noun [ See
Plumb .]
(Min.) The operation of finding, by means of a mine dial, the place where to sink an air shaft, or to bring an adit to the work, or to find which way the lode inclines.
Plummy Plum"my adjective [ From
Plum .]
Of the nature of a plum; desirable; profitable; advantageous. [ Colloq.] "For the sake of getting something
plummy ."
G. Eliot.
Plumose, Plumous Plu·mose", Plu"mous adjective [ Latin
plumosus , from
pluma feather: confer French
plumeux .]
1. Having feathers or plumes. 2. Having hairs, or other pįrts, arranged along an axis like a feather; feathery; plumelike; as, a plumose leaf; plumose tentacles.
Plumosite Plu"mo·site noun (Min.) Same as Jamesonite .
Plumosity Plu·mos"i·ty noun The quality or state of being plumose.
Plump Plump (plŭmp)
adjective [
Compar. Plumper (-ẽr);
superl. Plumpest .] [ Middle English
plomp rude, clumsy; akin to Dutch
plomp , G., Dan., & Swedish
plump ; probably of imitative origin. Confer
Plump ,
adverb ]
Well rounded or filled out; full; fleshy; fat; as, a plump baby; plump cheeks. Shak. The god of wine did his plump clusters bring.
T. Carew.
Plump Plump noun A knot; a cluster; a group; a crowd; a flock; as, a plump of trees, fowls, or spears. [ Obsolete]
To visit islands and the plumps of men.
Chapman.
Plump Plump intransitive verb [ Confer Dutch
plompen , German
plumpen , Swedish
plumpa , Danish
plumpe . See
Plump ,
adjective ]
1. To grow plump; to swell out; as, her cheeks have plumped . 2. To drop or fall suddenly or heavily, all at once. "Dulcissa
plumps into a chair."
Spectator. 3. To give a plumper. See Plumper , 2.
Plump Plump transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Plumped ;
present participle & verbal noun Plumping .]
1. To make plump; to fill (out) or support; -- often with up . To plump up the hollowness of their history with improbable miracles.
Fuller. 2. To cast or let drop all at once, suddenly and heavily; as, to plump a stone into water. 3. To give (a vote), as a plumper. See Plumper , 2.
Plump Plump adverb [ Confer Dutch
plomp , interj., German
plump ,
plumps . Confer
Plump ,
adjective & v. ]
Directly; suddenly; perpendicularly. "Fall
plump ."
Beau. & Fl.
Plump Plump adjective Done or made plump, or suddenly and without reservation; blunt; unreserved; direct; downright. After the plump statement that the author was at Erceldoune and spake with Thomas.
Saintsbury.
Plumper Plump"er noun 1. One who, or that which, plumps or swells out something else; hence, something carried in the mouth to distend the cheeks. 2. (English Elections) A vote given to one candidate only, when two or more are to be elected, thus giving him the advantage over the others. A person who gives his vote thus is said to plump , or to plump his vote. 3. A voter who plumps his vote. [ Eng.]
4. A downright, unqualified lie. [ Colloq. or Low]
Plumply Plump"ly adverb Fully; roundly; plainly; without reserve. [ Colloq.]
Plumpness Plump"ness noun The quality or state of being plump.
Plumpy Plump"y adjective Plump; fat; sleek. "
Plumpy Bacchus."
Shak.
Plumula Plu"mu·la noun ;
plural Latin
Plumule , E.
-las . [ Latin See
Plumule .]
1. (Botany) A plumule. 2. (Zoology) A down feather.
Plumulaceous Plu`mu·la"ceous adjective (Zoology) Downy; bearing down.
Plumular Plu"mu·lar adjective (Botany) Relating to a plumule.
Plumularia Plu`mu·la"ri·a noun ;
plural Latin
Plumularlę , English
Plumularias . [ New Latin ]
(Zoology) Any hydroid belonging to Plumularia and other genera of the family Plumularidę . They generally grow in plumelike forms.
Plumularian Plu`mu·la"ri·an noun (Zoology) Any Plumularia. Also used adjectively.
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