• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Word “Plumber” For the Person Who Fixes Your Pipes Originate and What Does it Mean?

Where Did the Word “Plumber” For the Person Who Fixes Your Pipes Originate and What Does it Mean?

March 10, 2020 by Karen Hill

A plumb or plumb bob is the lead weight at the end of a line used to determine the depth of water.

It was sailing ships’ precursor to sonar.

In the fourteenth century, when indoor plumbing was introduced, the pipes were made of lead.

The artisans who installed the pipe systems to buildings took their professional name from what had previously been the metal’s main nautical function.

And that’s why the person who fixes your pipes is called a “plumber”.

Related Facts

  • History of Tobacco
  • History of Elevators
  • How do engineers and construction crews make tall buildings perfectly straight and vertical?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed Our Lives Forever
  • How does a pipe organ generate sound with air?
  • The Best 20 Inventions Ever Invented

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where Did the Word “Stickler” For a Perfectionist Come From and What Does the Term Mean?
Next Post: Why Is a Middleman Called a Broker and Where Did the Word Broker Come From? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy