Woodworking Glossary

Plumb

A plumb bob, used to check true vertical
A plumb bob, used to check true vertical
CatalinaDurhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Plumb means perfectly vertical, true to gravity -- the vertical counterpart to level (horizontal). A level checks both: most levels have vertical vials specifically for checking plumb, alongside the horizontal ones for level. A cabinet installed plumb won't lean forward or back even if the floor and walls around it aren't quite true.

Images

A plumb bob, used to check true vertical

Product: A plumb bob, used to check true vertical CatalinaDurhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons