Definition

Noun: A specific type of tool used in carpentry and construction. It is a level (a device for checking if a surface is horizontal or vertical) that incorporates a plumb line—a string with a weight—positioned at a right angle (90 degrees) to the main body of the level. This allows the user to check for both horizontal level and vertical plumb (true vertical alignment) with a single tool.

Usage

The term "plumb level" refers specifically to this combined tool. It is used to ensure accuracy in building and installation work. - The carpenter used a plumb level to ensure the door frame was perfectly vertical and the shelf was perfectly horizontal. - For precise tile work, a plumb level is more efficient than carrying two separate tools.

Advanced Usage

• The "plumb line" component of the tool operates on the principle of gravity, with the weighted string always pointing directly toward the earth's center, indicating a true vertical reference.
• While modern digital and laser levels are common, a traditional plumb level remains a reliable and fundamental tool in many trades.

Variants and Related Words

• Spirit level / Level (n): A more general term for a tool used to indicate a horizontal plane, typically using a vial of liquid (spirit) and an air bubble. A "plumb level" is a specialized type of level.
• Plumb bob (n): The weighted, often pointed, metal tip attached to a plumb line.
• Plumb line (n): The cord or line from which a plumb bob is suspended, used to find a vertical line.

Synonyms

• Carpenter's level (a general synonym, though not all carpenter's levels have a plumb line feature).
• Mason's level (often a sturdier level used in bricklaying, which may include a plumb feature).

Related Phrases

• To check for plumb: The action of using any tool to verify that something is perfectly vertical.
  • Before securing the post, you must check it for plumb.
• Level and plumb: A common phrase describing the two essential states of alignment in construction—perfectly horizontal and perfectly vertical.
  • The first rule of hanging cabinets is to make sure they are level and plumb.

Noun

1. a carpenter's level with a plumb line at right angles to it