cement

[si-ment] /sɪˈmɛnt/
noun
1.
any of various calcined mixtures of clay and limestone, usually mixed with water and sand, gravel, etc., to form concrete, that are used as a building material.
2.
any of various soft, sticky substances that dry hard or stonelike, used especially for mending broken objects or for making things adhere.
3.
Petrography. the compact groundmass surrounding and binding together the fragments of clastic rocks.
4.
anything that binds or unites:
Time is the cement of friendship.
5.
Dentistry.
  1. a hardening, adhesive, plastic substance, used in the repair of teeth for anchoring fillings or inlays, for filling, or for fastening crowns.
  2. Informal. cementum.
verb (used with object)
6.
to unite by or as if by cement:
to cement stones to form a wall; to cement a relationship.
7.
to coat or cover with cement:
to cement a floor.
verb (used without object)
8.
to become cemented; join together or unite; cohere.
Origin
1250-1300; < Latin cēmentum, variant of caementum (singular of caementa unprocessed cuttings from the quarry, i.e., rough stone and chips) < *caed-mentom, equivalent to caed(ere) to cut + -mentum -ment; replacing Middle English cyment < Old French ciment < Latin, as above
Related forms
cementable, adjective
cementer, noun
cementless, adjective
recement, verb
well-cemented, adjective
Can be confused
cement, concrete, mortar.
Synonyms
6. merge, join, bind, fuse, secure.
Examples from the web for cement
  • Outside, we're thinking about that cement-board siding.
  • It appears to be the sunniest patch amid the towering trees, warmed by a bit of cement path.
  • Truth is the foundation of all knowledge, and the cement of all societies.
  • The cement which was to bind it and perpetuate its existence was the affectionate attachment between all its members.
  • Important negotiations are even now proceeding to further cement trade relations-Times.
  • Fill the cells on each side of the opening to cement the angle iron in place.
  • If you get those nasty fine spines in your hand, she says, you can remove them by painting over the area with rubber cement.
  • Colored, carved, and textured sprayed cement forms the spa and surrounding rocks.
  • Although its first cost is higher than asphalt, cement is stronger and lasts longer, so its life-cycle cost is lower.
  • As for the cement-block problem, it is common to fake and live plants.
British Dictionary definitions for cement

cement

/sɪˈmɛnt/
noun
1.
a fine grey powder made of a mixture of calcined limestone and clay, used with water and sand to make mortar, or with water, sand, and aggregate, to make concrete
2.
a binder, glue, or adhesive
3.
something that unites or joins; bond
4.
(dentistry) any of various materials used in filling teeth
5.
mineral matter, such as silica and calcite, that binds together particles of rock, bones, etc, to form a solid mass of sedimentary rock
6.
another word for cementum
verb (transitive)
7.
to reinforce or consolidate: once a friendship is cemented it will last for life
8.
to join, bind, or glue together with or as if with cement
9.
to coat or cover with cement
Derived Forms
cementer, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old French ciment, from Latin caementum stone from the quarry, from caedere to hew
Word Origin and History for cement
n.

c.1300, from Old French ciment "cement, mortar, pitch," from Latin cæmenta "stone chips used for making mortar" (singular caementum), from caedere "to cut down, chop, beat, hew, fell, slay" (see -cide). The sense evolution from "small broken stones" to "powdered stones used in construction" took place before the word reached English.

v.

c.1400, from cement (n.) or Old French cimenter. Figurative use from c.1600. Related: Cemented; cementing.

cement in Medicine

cement ce·ment (sĭ-měnt')
n.

  1. A substance used for filling dental cavities or anchoring crowns, inlays, or other restorations.

  2. See cementum.

  3. A substance that hardens to act as an adhesive; glue.

Slang definitions & phrases for cement

cement

Related Terms

in cement