plumb

plumb¹ [plʌm] v [T]

[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: plumb 'metal weight on a plumb line' (13-21 centuries), from Old French plomb 'lead', from Latin plumbum]

1.) plumb the depths (of despair/misery/bad taste etc)

to feel an unpleasant emotion in a very extreme way, or to behave in a way that is extremely unpleasant or morally bad

▪ When his wife left him, Matt plumbed the very depths of despair.

▪ That night they plumbed the depths of treachery and horror, and murdered the king as he slept.

2.) to succeed in understanding something completely

= ↑fathom

▪ Psychologists try to plumb the deepest mysteries of the human psyche.

plumb in [plumb sth<=>in] phr v

to connect a piece of equipment such as a washing machine to the water supply

plumb ²

plumb² adv

1.) [always + adverb/preposition] informal

exactly

▪ The bullet hit him plumb between the eyes.

2.) AmE informal completely - often used humorously

▪ The whole idea sounds plumb crazy to me.

plumb ³

plumb³ adj technical

1.) exactly upright or level

2.) out of plumb

not exactly upright or level