Wordwyrt

plunger

/ˈplʌndʒə/PLUHN-jur
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/ˈplʌndʒɚ/PLUHN-jur

Meaningone that plunges

Common meaning: a tool for clearing drains

Other meanings: a piston

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Journey through time

  1. Late Latinplumbicaresource
  2. Frenchplonger‘to plunge, dive, duck’source
  3. Middle Englishploungensource
  4. Englishplunge‘to dive or thrust down suddenly’
  5. Englishformed in English from plungeplunger‘a tool for clearing drains’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from plunge + -er.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), PLUNGE, p.452 · scan

Source words

  • plumbicare Late Latin · source word “to sink like lead”

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