plunger

1. 1.

   someone who risks losses for the possibility of considerable gains

   Synonymsspeculator

   Broaderadventurergambler

   Narrowerhedgeroperatorscalperventure capitalist
2. 2.

   someone who dives (into water)

   Synonymsdiver

   Broaderswimmer
3. 3.

   hand tool consisting of a stick with a rubber suction cup at one end; used to clean clogged drains

   Synonymsplumber's helper

   Broaderhand tool
4. 4.

   mechanical device that has a plunging or thrusting motion

   Synonymspiston

   Broadermechanical device

   Part ofreciprocating engine

   Partspiston ringpiston rod

Other forms of plunger

plural

plungers·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about plunger

What does plunger mean?

plunger means "someone who risks losses for the possibility of considerable gains". That is the primary sense; the word has 4 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in plunger?

plunger has 2 syllables: plun-ger. The stress falls on "plun". In IPA it is /ˈplʌndʒɚ/.

What is another word for plunger?

Close synonyms include speculator, diver, plumber's helper, piston. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is plunger a common word?

plunger is banded "Uncommon" — turns up in careful writing rather than conversation. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.