February 27, 2026
plummet
/ˈplʌm.ət/noun
A lead weight tied to a line, used to measure water depth or to check that something is vertical.
Example sentence
- “The sailor lowered a plummet over the side to gauge the harbor's depth.”
The verb dominates modern use: prices, temperatures, and spirits plummet. This weight sense is the older, rarer one.