timber
n. · v.-
1 wood for building (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatewood that has been prepared for use in building and carpentry.
wood that has been processed into beams and planks for use in construction or carpentry.
ExampleThe old house was built with huge pieces of oak timber.
ExampleThe construction crew waited for a fresh delivery of structural timber before they could begin framing the second floor of the cabin.
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2 standing trees (n.) C1 Advanced Technicaltrees that are grown specifically to be cut down and sold as wood.
standing trees or wooded land considered as a source of wood for commercial use.
ExampleThe company bought the land mainly for its valuable timber.
ExampleSustainable management of the forest ensures that new growth replaces the timber harvested each year for the paper industry.
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3 to provide with wood (v.) C2 Proficiency Technicalto put wooden beams into a building or a mine to support it.
to support or frame a structure, such as a mine shaft or building, with wooden beams.
ExampleThe workers had to timber the walls of the tunnel to keep it safe.
ExampleEngineers decided to timber the unstable sections of the mine shaft to prevent a collapse during the excavation process.
From Middle English tymber, from Old English timber, from Proto-West Germanic timr, from Proto-Germanic timrą, from Proto-Indo-European dem- (“build, house”) (see Proto-Indo-European dṓm). Cognates include Dutch timmer, Old High German zimbar (German Zimmer), Norwegian tømmer, Old Norse timbr, Gothic 𐍄𐌹𐌼𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (timrjan, “to build”), Latin domus and Ancient Greek δόμος (dómos).