Definition

1. Noun:
   • A skilled tradesperson who installs, maintains, and repairs systems used for potable (drinkable) water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. This is the primary and most common meaning. A plumber works with pipes, fixtures, and appliances.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We need to call a plumber; the kitchen sink is leaking.
  • The plumber installed a new water heater in our basement.
  • He trained for three years to become a licensed plumber.

Advanced Usage

• "Plumber's snake" (or "drain snake"): A long, flexible tool used by plumbers to clear clogs in pipes.
  • The plumber used a snake to clear the blocked drain.
• In informal contexts, especially in computing or intelligence, "plumber" can metaphorically refer to someone who fixes leaks of information or data, though this is a specialized and less common usage.
  • The company hired a security plumber to fix the data leak.

Variants and Related Words

• Plumbing (n): The system of pipes, tanks, and fixtures required for water supply and sanitation in a building. Also refers to the trade or work of a plumber.
  • The old house needs completely new plumbing.
• Plumb (v): To measure the depth of water or to test the vertical alignment of a structure. As a verb, it is related to the precise work of a plumber.
  • The carpenter used a level to plumb the door frame.

Synonyms

• Pipefitter: A tradesperson who installs and maintains piping systems, often in industrial settings. While related, a pipefitter typically works on high-pressure systems for manufacturing, heating, and cooling, whereas a plumber focuses on water and sanitation systems in buildings.
• Sanitary engineer: A more formal or technical term, often referring to an engineer specializing in public health and sanitation systems, which encompasses broader planning than the hands-on work of a plumber.

Related Phrases

• "Have a face like a plumber's wrench": A humorous, informal British idiom meaning to have an unattractive or scowling facial expression.
  • He woke up with a face like a plumber's wrench.
• "Plumber's butt" (or "builder's bum"): A humorous, informal term referring to the visible crack above the waistline of trousers when a person bends over, stereotypically associated with tradespeople.

Idioms

• "The plumber's friend": Another informal name for a plunger, a tool used to clear blockages in toilets and drains.
  • When the toilet clogged, she reached for the plumber's friend.

Noun

1. a craftsman who installs and repairs pipes and fixtures and appliances