cement

CEFRB2

/səˈmɛnt/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A powder mixed with water to make a hard building material.

  2. 02

    verb

    To make a relationship or agreement stronger.

Examples

  • A house is built on top of a solid foundation of cement.

  • The cement will set in a couple of hours.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈsi.mɛnt/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Any material with strong adhesive and cohesive properties such as binding agents, glues, grout.

  2. The paste-like substance resulting from mixing such a powder with water, or the rock-like substance that forms when it dries.

  3. A powdered substance produced by firing (calcining) calcium carbonate (limestone) and clay that develops strong cohesive properties when mixed with water. The main ingredient of concrete.

More examples

In context

  • the cement of our love

  • to cement a cellar floor

  • In the autumn there was a row at some cement works about the unskilled labour men. A union had just been started for them and all but a few joined. One of these blacklegs was laid for by a picket and knocked out of time.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The workers mixed sand and water with blank to create a sturdy foundation for the bridge.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English syment, cyment, from Old French ciment, from Latin caementum (“quarry stone; stone chips for making mortar”), from caedō (“to cut, hew”). Doublet of cementum.