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pressure-treated

American  
[presh-er-tree-tid] / ˈprɛʃ ərˌtri tɪd /

adjective

  1. (of wood) treated with a chemical or chemicals applied under pressure to reduce such problems as insect infestation, decay, and rotting.


Etymology

Origin of pressure-treated

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The decking company built its business on composite boards made from sawdust and recycled plastic shopping bags, which it pitches as more durable than pressure-treated lumber.

From Barron's Nov. 7, 2025

The rest of the structure was built from off-the-shelf materials like pressure-treated lumber for framing and corrugated metal for the roof.

From New York Times Nov. 29, 2022

Covering pressure-treated decking with an elastomeric coating will seal it in and keep the chemicals off your family and pets.

From Seattle Times Jul. 14, 2021

But it didn’t help that he spent years inhaling sawdust, only realizing later how dangerous some of the pressure-treated wood he worked with could be.

From Washington Times Dec. 25, 2019

“I got a call come in at four-thirty needing a load of pressure-treated for a deck. Five-hundred-dollar order. And guess what? I didn’t have nobody to deliver it.”

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

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