cement

[ si-ment ]

/ sɪˈmɛnt /

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See synonyms for: cement / cemented / cementing on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of various calcined mixtures of clay and limestone, usually mixed with water and sand, gravel, etc., to form concrete, that are used as a building material.

any of various soft, sticky substances that dry hard or stonelike, used especially for mending broken objects or for making things adhere.

Petrography. the compact groundmass surrounding and binding together the fragments of clastic rocks.

anything that binds or unites: Time is the cement of friendship.

Dentistry.

a hardening, adhesive, plastic substance, used in the repair of teeth for anchoring fillings or inlays, for filling, or for fastening crowns.
Informal. cementum.

verb (used with object)

to unite by or as if by cement: to cement stones to form a wall; to cement a relationship.

to coat or cover with cement: to cement a floor.

verb (used without object)

to become cemented; join together or unite; cohere.

SYNONYMS FOR cement

6 merge, join, bind, fuse, secure.

See synonyms for cement on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of cement

1250–1300; <Latin cēmentum, variant of caementum (singular of caementa unprocessed cuttings from the quarry, i.e., rough stone and chips) <*caed-mentom, equivalent to caed(ere) to cut + -mentum-ment; replacing Middle English cyment<Old French ciment<Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM cement

ce·ment·a·ble, adjectivece·ment·er, nounce·ment·less, adjectivere·ce·ment, verb

well-ce·ment·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cement

cement , concrete, mortar²

Words nearby cement

Celto-Germanic, celtuce, celure, CEMA, cembalo, cement, cementation, cementicle, cementifying fibroma, cementite, cementitious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for cement

Being authentic cements stronger relationships and higher engagement, which are critical to opening up opportunities for all.
3 ways to make sure corporate diversity and inclusion efforts have a lasting impact|matthewheimer|August 31, 2020|Fortune
In real life, making urea cement will probably be more complicated than just peeing in a bucket, says Belinda Rich.
Astronauts may be able to make cement with their own pee|Lisa Grossman|June 16, 2020|Science News For Students
They topped off this mix with some water to make the cement.
Astronauts may be able to make cement with their own pee|Lisa Grossman|June 16, 2020|Science News For Students
For instance, it might prevent clogs in tubes that carry cement.
Physicists foil classic oobleck science trick|Emily Conover|June 9, 2020|Science News For Students

They added even less graphene to cement — just a twentieth of a percent by weight.
Converting trash to valuable graphene in a flash|Alison Pearce Stevens|March 20, 2020|Science News For Students
He was pinned to the cement for his refusal to go along with an arrest for selling loose cigarettes.
The Wildly Peaceful, Human, Almost Boring, Ultimately Great New York City Protests for Eric Garner|Mike Barnicle|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Holding the architectural smorgasbord of a castle together was cement, wire, and mortar.
The Postman Who Built a Palace in France…by Hand|Nina Strochlic|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
More recently, the rows of red and gray cement housing project blocks that sprouted up in the 1980s dominate the view.
In Rome’s Riots, Cries for Mussolini and Attacks on Refugees|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And to check out this 100-year-old steel and cement engineering marvel.
A Man, a Plan, a Canal: Panama Turns 100|Bill Schulz|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Death waits for these things as a cement floor waits for a dropping light bulb.
American Dreams: Saul Bellow’s Masterpiece of Lamentation|Nathaniel Rich|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is sometimes asked, cannot “Analysis” cement together unconnected “Extremes”?
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
Delancy turned the sedan through the door of the big garage, rolled across the wide parking floor to the cement ramp at the rear.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
He washed the cement floor with the hose, and while waiting for it to dry he rinsed his brushes in turpentine.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
This is the material of the celebrated Roman cement, which holds together to this day the massy structures of ancient Rome.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
The pillars and walls are covered with a white cement, which is equal to marble for its polish.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for cement

cement

/ (sɪˈmɛnt) /

noun

a fine grey powder made of a mixture of calcined limestone and clay, used with water and sand to make mortar, or with water, sand, and aggregate, to make concrete

a binder, glue, or adhesive

something that unites or joins; bond

dentistry any of various materials used in filling teeth

mineral matter, such as silica and calcite, that binds together particles of rock, bones, etc, to form a solid mass of sedimentary rock

another word for cementum

verb (tr)

to reinforce or consolidateonce a friendship is cemented it will last for life

to join, bind, or glue together with or as if with cement

to coat or cover with cement

Derived forms of cement

cementer, noun

Word Origin for cement

C13: from Old French ciment, from Latin caementum stone from the quarry, from caedere to hew

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for cement

cement

[ sĭ-mĕnt′ ]

n.

A substance used for filling dental cavities or anchoring crowns, inlays, or other restorations.

cementum

A substance that hardens to act as an adhesive; glue.

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