Take the Plunge Comes From Diving In
To plunge is to jump or fall suddenly. The phrase take the plunge means to commit to something daunting.
To plunge is to jump or thrust suddenly downwards. The idiom *take the plunge* draws on the moment of commitment: once you have jumped, hesitation is no longer possible. The Latin root is *plumbum*, lead — a plunge was originally a sinking like a lead weight, and *plumber* comes from the same metal.
- To fall suddenly. *Prices plunged.*
- To thrust in. *Plunge the knife.*
- A dive. *A cold plunge.*
- Take the plunge — commit to something. *They took the plunge.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | plunge | Plunge into water. |
| Past | plunged | Shares plunged. |
| Noun | plunge | A sharp plunge. |
| Noun | plunger | A sink plunger. |
| Related | plumb | Plumb the depths. |
How it is used in a sentence
- They finally took the plunge.Committed.
- Plumb the depths means measure them.With a lead weight.
- Plumber comes from lead.Which pipes were once made of.
Words from *plumbum*, lead
- Plunge — to sink like a lead weight
- Plumb — to measure depth, or exactly vertical
- Plumber — originally a worker in lead pipes
- Plumb line — a weighted cord showing the vertical
- Aplomb — from the French for perpendicular, hence self-assurance
From Old French *plongier*, from Vulgar Latin *plumbicare*, to heave the lead, from Latin *plumbum*, lead.
Are plumber and plunge related?
Yes. Both come from Latin *plumbum*, lead. Plumbers worked in lead pipes and a plunge sinks like a lead weight.
What does *aplomb* have to do with it?
It comes from French *à plomb*, according to the plumb line, meaning perfectly upright, hence composed and self-assured.