timber
n. uncountablen. wood that is used for building houses, furniture, or other large structures. It refers to the wood after the tree is cut down but before it is turned into a finished product.
n. wood prepared for use in building and carpentry; forest trees suitable for such purposes. Often used to describe the raw material rather than the finished wooden object.
The house is built from heavy timber.
The construction company ordered a large shipment of timber to finish the roof of the new cabin.
Sustainable forestry practices ensure that the extraction of timber does not permanently deplete the local ecosystem or destroy the habitats of native wildlife.
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).
Typically uncountable when referring to the material; can be countable when referring to specific beams or types of wood.
The table is made of timbersThe table is made of timberWhen referring to the material itself, the word is uncountable and should not be pluralized.