timber

[ tim-ber ]

/ ˈtɪm bər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR timber ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the wood of growing trees suitable for structural uses.

growing trees themselves.

wooded land.

wood, especially when suitable or adapted for various building purposes.

a single piece of wood forming part of a structure or the like: A timber fell from the roof.

Nautical. (in a ship's frame) one of the curved pieces of wood that spring upward and outward from the keel; rib.

personal character or quality: He's being talked up as presidential timber.

Sports. a wooden hurdle, as a gate or fence, over which a horse must jump in equestrian sports.

verb (used with object)

to furnish with timber.

to support with timber.

verb (used without object)

to fell timber, especially as an occupation.

interjection

a lumberjack's call to warn those in the vicinity that a cut tree is about to fall to the ground.

Nearby words

timarau, timaru, timbal, timbale, timbale iron, timber, timber beetle, timber cruiser, timber hitch, timber limit, timber mill

Origin of timber

before 900; Middle English, Old English: orig., house, building material; cognate with German Zimmer room, Old Norse timbr timber; akin to Gothic timrjan, Greek démein to build. See dome

Related forms

tim·ber·less, adjectivetim·ber·y, adjective

Can be confused

timber timbre

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for timber

“The Americans were a tool, used by the Safis in the Pech to rid them of their competition in the timber trade,” Zalwar Khan said.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite the trade officially being banned, he explains, timber was still locally harvested and sold.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Though the company imports its wood from a timber supplier, they cut and process it.
Brooklyn’s Booming Firewood Industry|Dale Eisinger|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One outfitter found a camp in timber—a Nichols camp, with a fresh three-rock campfire.
The Ballad of Johnny France|Richard Ben Cramer|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They took off through the timber, and so began a five-month hunt for two men in the wilds of America.
The Ballad of Johnny France|Richard Ben Cramer|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This portage lies over an open pine ridge, from which the timber has been chiefly burned.
Personal Memoirs Of A Residence Of Thirty Years With The Indian Tribes On The American Frontiers|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
It was quite a large town, the houses being built substantially of timber, thatched with palm leaves.
Ferdinand De Soto, The Discoverer of the Mississippi|John S. C. Abbott
One great bug bear of the prairies was formerly the scarcity of timber.
The History of Peru|Henry S. Beebe
Through the timber ahead of them came the sweet clear notes of a bugle.
Pathfinder|Alan Douglas
They remained in the timber the rest of the day, in order that Ned might recover sufficiently for the journey.
The Texan Scouts|Joseph A. Altsheler

British Dictionary definitions for timber

timber

/ (ˈtɪmbə) /

noun

wood, esp when regarded as a construction materialUsual US and Canadian word: lumber
(as modifier)a timber cottage

trees collectively
mainly US woodland

a piece of wood used in a structure

nautical a frame in a wooden vessel

potential material, for a post, rank, etche is managerial timber

verb

(tr) to provide with timbers

interjection

a lumberjack's shouted warning when a tree is about to fall

Word Origin for timber

Old English; related to Old High German zimbar wood, Old Norse timbr timber, Latin domus house

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