timber
timber — noun
1. Living trees that are planted and raised so their trunks can later be cut down a
Living trees that are planted and raised so their trunks can later be cut down and processed into boards or beams for construction.
The logging company owns large areas of standing timber in northern Sweden.
standing timber — uncountable, refers to living trees
Mira's family has been harvesting timber from their land for three generations.
After the wildfire, the forestry service assessed the damage to the standing timber.
The government planted rows of pine as a sustainable timber crop for future use.
2. Building material made from tree trunks that have been turned into boards and be
Building material made from tree trunks that have been turned into boards and beams ready for construction work.
The cabin was built using locally sourced timber and stone from the nearby hills.
locally sourced timber — adjective + uncountable noun
Kwame ordered enough timber to build a large garden shed behind his house.
The old barn was made of dark, weathered timber that had lasted over a century.
The price of construction timber has risen sharply this year across the whole region.
Ritu chose oak timber for the dining table because it is both strong and beautiful.
用法筆記
In British English, timber is the usual term for prepared construction wood. In American English, the equivalent word is lumber.
常見錯誤
3. A long, thick piece of wood that acts as a supporting beam in a building, ship,
A long, thick piece of wood that acts as a supporting beam in a building, ship, or other large structure.
A heavy oak timber supported the roof of the medieval hall for centuries.
Workers lifted a long timber into place to form the bridge main frame.
lifted a timber into place — physical handling of a countable timber
Hugo found a worm-eaten timber in the basement that needed replacing immediately.
The shipbuilders fitted new curved timbers into the hull of the wooden fishing boat.
Two vertical timbers on each side held the porch roof above the front door.
用法筆記
Unlike the uncountable sense of timber (WOOD MATERIAL), this sense is countable — you can have one timber or several timbers. The guide_word BEAM helps distinguish it from BUILDING WOOD.
常見錯誤
timber — exclamation
1. The word shouted by loggers to warn everyone nearby that a tree they have cut is
The word shouted by loggers to warn everyone nearby that a tree they have cut is starting to topple.
"Timber!" the logger shouted, and the great pine tree crashed to the forest floor.
used as an interjection warning
The whole crew heard the cry of "Timber!" and stepped back from the falling trunk.
Joon yelled "Timber!" as the old cedar began to tilt and the chainsaw fell silent.
Visitors on the forest tour learned to shout "Timber!" when a tree began to fall.
用法筆記
This word functions as an interjection — it is not a noun or verb when used this way. It is shouted only at the moment a felled tree begins to fall, not before cutting starts.
timber — verb
1. To build the supporting frame of a structure using heavy wooden beams, or to cov
To build the supporting frame of a structure using heavy wooden beams, or to cover and strengthen a wall, roof, or tunnel with such beams.
The old cottage was timbered with massive oak beams that had darkened with age.
passive: be timbered with [material]
The collapsing mine shaft was timbered with thick logs by the restoration team.
The walls were timbered on the inside to stop the cellar from caving in.
The old barn was timbered with hand-cut beams from the family forest.
用法筆記
This verb is almost exclusively found in the past participle form (timbered), as in 'half-timbered house' or 'timbered walls.' The active form (e.g. 'they timbered the roof') is extremely rare in modern everyday English.