plumb line
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
My father’s simple existence has been like a horizontal plumb line for me, one to gauge myself against.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2018
Its southern latitude disguises just how far west the shipping channel reaches — far enough to catch a plumb line dropped from Cleveland.
From New York Times ● May 18, 2018
He rolled up his sleeves, wiped the blade against the sole of his shoe, then hunkered down and closed one eye, like a carpenter with a plumb line.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 19, 2012
I had a beautiful Vidal-style pageboy, plumb line straight.
From BBC ● May 24, 2012
If a factory was nearby, he’d explain how you used a plumb line to get the chimney straight and why the windows had been placed a certain way to let in the maximum light.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
