Plunger

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈplʌnd͡ʒə/

Definitions

1. A device with a rubber cup on a handle used to clear blocked drains by creating suction and pressure
2. A tool featuring a suction cup attached to a handle that is utilized to remove clogs from pipes by generating negative and positive pressure
3. This implement consists of a rubber or silicone cup on a stick that serves to dislodge blockages in plumbing through suction mechanisms

Etymology: A plunger is about as plain as English gets: the verb "plunge" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, so it names whatever does the plunging. The suffix has a long pedigree, passing from Latin "-arius" through Old French "-ier" into Middle English "-er", and it is the same ending found in "baker" and "farmer" and countless other agent nouns. Its earlier ancestors trace back to Germanic and Italic forms, but the tool itself is simply a thing that pushes and drives water or air through a pipe. The verb "plunge" is the real story here: it came into English from Old French "plonger", which is the source of the same stem in many modern words, so the tool's name rests on a single straightforward act of immersion. The sense of forcing something quickly into liquid or a confined space is what the plunger still performs when it pushes down on a clogged drain.

Synonyms: suction cup, device