timber
- 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.
- to furnish with timber.
- to support with timber.
- to fell timber, especially as an occupation.
- a lumberjack's call to warn those in the vicinity that a cut tree is about to fall to the ground.
Origin of timber
Related Words
forest, log, hardwood, girder, rafter, balk, club, grove, stake, woodland, beam, pole, woods, board, frame, boom, rib, plank, mast, wealdExamples from the Web for timber
Contemporary Examples
“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 ValleyMatt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman
November 15, 2014
Despite the trade officially being banned, he explains, timber was still locally harvested and sold.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban ValleyMatt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman
November 15, 2014
Though the company imports its wood from a timber supplier, they cut and process it.
One outfitter found a camp in timber—a Nichols camp, with a fresh three-rock campfire.
They took off through the timber, and so began a five-month hunt for two men in the wilds of America.
Historical Examples
Me and Lawyer Fillmore has been a-lookin' into them deeds, and this timber is mine;' and he driv off.
The UnderdogF. Hopkinson Smith
She always seemed natural to me; and I had got to know every timber and stick about her.
Ned MyersJames Fenimore Cooper
The first timber was drawn by a rope, and floated to its place.
Cleveland Past and PresentMaurice Joblin
This process was continued through the whole length of the timber.
Cleveland Past and PresentMaurice Joblin
The timber growth—none at all or very scanty spruce and tamarack.
The Long Labrador TrailDillon Wallace
timber
- wood, esp when regarded as a construction materialUsual US and Canadian word: lumber
- (as modifier)a timber cottage
- trees collectively
- mainly USwoodland
- 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
- (tr) to provide with timbers
- a lumberjack's shouted warning when a tree is about to fall
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for timber
n.
Old English timber "building, structure," later "building material, trees suitable for building," and "wood in general," from Proto-Germanic *temran (cf. Old Frisian timber "wood, building," Old High German zimbar "timber, wooden dwelling, room," Old Norse timbr "timber," German Zimmer "room"), from PIE *demrom-, from root *dem-/*dom- "build" (source of Greek domos, Latin domus; see domestic (adj.)).
The related Old English verb timbran, timbrian was the chief word for "to build" (cf. Dutch timmeren, German zimmern). As a call of warning when a cut tree is about to fall, it is attested from 1912 in Canadian English. Timbers in the nautical slang sense (see shiver (n.)) is from the specialized meaning "pieces of wood composing the frames of a ship's hull" (1748).