timber

[tim-ber]

noun

1. the wood of growing trees suitable for structural uses.

2. growing trees themselves.

3. wooded land.

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

5. a single piece of wood forming part of a structure or the like.

   A timber fell from the roof.

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

7. personal character or quality.

   He's being talked up as presidential timber.

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

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with timber.

2. to support with timber.

verb (used without object)

1. to fell timber, especially as an occupation.

interjection

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

timber

/ ˈtɪmbə /

noun

1. 1. Usual US and Canadian word: lumber. wood, esp when regarded as a construction material

   2. ( as modifier )

      a timber cottage

2. 1. trees collectively

   2. woodland

3. a piece of wood used in a structure

4. nautical a frame in a wooden vessel

5. potential material, for a post, rank, etc

   he is managerial timber

verb

1. (tr) to provide with timbers

interjection

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

Other Word Forms

• timberless adjective
• timbery adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of timber¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English: originally, “house, building material, wood, trees”; cognate with German Zimmer “room,” Old Norse timbr “timber”; akin to Gothic timrjan “to build,” Greek démein “to build,” dómos “house,” Latin domus “house,” Slavic ( Polish ) dom, “house, home,” Sanskrit dáma- “house, building”; dome

Word History and Origins

Origin of timber¹

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

Example Sentences

That meant the nails were bound to come loose during the raising, causing the loss of many of the timbers and untold damage to the hull.

Read more on Literature

But for decades its vast ecosystem has been decaying, with areas chopped down to sell timber or clear space for cattle or crops like soy.

Read more on BBC

Using today's tools -- including laser-cut timber and acrylic, programmable LED lighting, and electronic control systems -- they reinterpreted Hamilton's clockwork concept for a new generation.

Read more on Science Daily

While timber tends to burn at a fixed rate, making plastic flame resistant is another story because plastics tend to burn at an accelerating rate, he explains.

Read more on BBC

That earthquake was especially deadly as the rural houses in the region were typically made of mud and timber.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• forest 
• hardwood 
• log 

When To Use

What does timber mean?

Timber refers to wood used for building materials.Timber can be used to refer to wood at different stages of processing. Sometimes, it refers to the trees in a wooded area that will be cut for use. Other times, it means trees that have already been cut down but not yet processed into planks and other forms to build with. And other times it refers to the wood after it has been processed (a more common word for this is lumber).Timber is most commonly used as a mass noun, meaning it is a singular noun that refers to multiple things and does not get pluralized.Example: Those trucks are bringing freshly cut timber to the mill.