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concrete

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈkɑnkɹit// UK //kˈɒŋkɹiːt// con·crete Archaic General-service

n. a hard building material made by mixing cement, sand, small stones, and water. Construction workers use it to build sidewalks, roads, and strong walls.

n. a heavy, rough building material made from a mixture of broken stone or gravel, sand, cement, and water, which forms a stone-like mass upon hardening.


SIMPLE

The workers poured fresh concrete to make the new sidewalk.

CONTEXTUAL

After the wooden frame was built, the construction crew poured the concrete and left it to harden overnight.

COMPLEX

The architect chose exposed concrete for the building's exterior, appreciating its brutalist aesthetic and its ability to withstand harsh coastal weather without degrading.

Antonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin concrētus, past participle of concrescō (to curdle) from con- (with, together) + crescō (to grow, rise).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the material itself; occasionally pluralised in technical contexts to denote different varieties.

Idioms2 entries

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