timber

American  

[tim-ber] / ˈtɪm bər /

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 British  

/ 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

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• timberless adjective
• timbery adjective

Etymology

Origin of timber

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

Example Sentences

The budget would shift the agency’s focus toward domestic timber production and wildfire risk mitigation and response, and away from more recent turns toward conservation and recreation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Factories have closed, and the timber industry has struggled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

At the time it was described as being "clad in sustainable timber which, over time, will fade to a silver-grey to blend in with the landscape."

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

"During the war, Khartoum state has lost 60 percent of its green cover," Hamed said, describing how century-old trees "were cut down with electric saws" for commercial timber and charcoal production.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

Just as we entered the thick timber of the bottoms, Papa reached down and picked up a club.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• forest
• hardwood
• log