cement, n. [OF. cement, ciment, F. ciment, fr. L. caementum a rough, unhewn stone, pieces or chips of marble, from which mortar was made, contr. fr. caedimentum, fr. caedere to cut, prob. akin to scindere to cleave, and to E. shed, v. t.].

Any substance used for making bodies adhere to each other, as mortar, glue, etc. [1913 Webster]
A kind of calcined limestone, or a calcined mixture of clay and lime, for making mortar which will harden under water. [1913 Webster]
The powder used in cementation. See Cementation, n., 2. [1913 Webster]
Bond of union; that which unites firmly, as persons in friendship, or men in society. [1913 Webster]
The layer of bone investing the root and neck of a tooth; -- called also cementum. [1913 Webster]

Hydraulic cement. See under Hydraulic.

cement, v. t. [Cf. F. cimenter. See Cement, n.].

To unite or cause to adhere by means of a cement. Bp. Burnet. [1913 Webster]
To unite firmly or closely. Shak. [1913 Webster]
To overlay or coat with cement; as, to cement a cellar bottom. [1913 Webster]

cement, v. i.

To become cemented or firmly united; to cohere. S. Sharp. [1913 Webster]

top

OXFORD DICTIONARY

cement, n. & v.
--n.
1 a powdery substance made by calcining lime and clay, mixed with water to form mortar or used in concrete (see also Portland cement).
2 any similar substance that hardens and fastens on setting.
3 a uniting factor or principle.
4 a substance for filling cavities in teeth.
5 (also cementum) Anat. a thin layer of bony material that fixes teeth to the jaw.
--v.tr.
1 a unite with or as with cement. b establish or strengthen (a friendship etc.).
2 apply cement to.
3 line or cover with cement.

Idiom

cement-mixer a machine (usu. with a revolving drum) for mixing cement with water.

Derivative

cementer n.

Etymology

ME f. OF ciment f. L caementum quarry stone f. caedere hew

top

THESAURUS

cement

Tarmac, Tarvia, accouple, accumulate, adamant, adhere, adherent, adhesive, adobe, affix, agglutinate, amass, anchor, annex, articulate, ashlar, asphalt, assemble, associate, attach, band, barnacle, belay, bind, biscuit, bisque, bitumen, bituminous macadam, blacktop, bond, bone, bony, bowl, bracket, bramble, braze, brick, bricks and mortar, bridge, bridge over, brier, bulldog, burr, carpet, causeway, cemental, ceramic ware, ceramics, chain, china, cinch, clamp, clap together, clinch, cling, clinker, cobble, cobblestone, cohere, collect, combine, comprise, concatenate, concrete, conglobulate, conjoin, conjugate, connect, copulate, corneous, couple, cover, covering materials, cramp, crock, crockery, curb, curbing, curbstone, decal, decalcomania, dense, diamond, diamondlike, dure, edgestone, embrace, enamelware, encompass, engraft, fasten, ferroconcrete, firebrick, fix, flag, flagging, flagstone, flint, flintlike, flinty, floor, flooring, fuse, gather, glass, glue, graft, granite, granitelike, granitic, grapple, gravel, grout, gum, gunk, hard, hard as nails, hardhearted, heart of oak, hold, horny, include, iron, iron-hard, ironlike, join, jug, kerb, kerbstone, knit, knot, lapideous, lath and plaster, lay together, league, leech, limpet, link, lithoid, lithoidal, lump together, macadam, make fast, marble, marblelike, marry, marshal, masonry, mass, mastic, merge, metal, mobilize, molasses, moor, mortar, mucilage, nails, oak, obdurate, osseous, pair, parget, paste, pave, pavement, pavestone, paving, paving material, paving stone, pebble, piece together, plaster, plasters, porcelain, pot, pottery, prestressed concrete, prickle, put to, put together, refractory, remora, resistant, resistive, road metal, rock, rocklike, rocky, roll into one, roofage, roofing, roughcast, screw up, secure, set, set to, siding, solder, solid, span, splice, steel, steellike, steely, stick, stick together, sticker, stone, stonelike, stony, stucco, syrup, take in, tape, tar, tarmacadam, thorn, tie, tighten, tile, tiling, tough, trice up, trim, unify, unite, urn, vase, walling, washboard, weld, yoke

top

ROGET THESAURUS

cement

Materials

N materials, material, raw material, stuff, stock, staple, adobe, brown stone, chinking, clapboard, daubing, puncheon, shake, shingle, bricks and mortar, metal, stone, clay, brick crockery, compo, composition, concrete, reinforced concrete, cement, wood, ore, timber, materials, supplies, munition, fuel, grist, household stuff pabulum, ammunition, contingents, relay, reinforcement, reenforcement, baggage, means, calico, cambric, cashmere, raw, wooden, adobe.

Connection

N connection, vinculum, link, connective, connection, junction, bond of union, copula, hyphen, intermedium, bracket, bridge, stepping-stone, isthmus, bond, tendon, tendril, fiber, cord, cordage, riband, ribbon, rope, guy, cable, line, halser, hawser, painter, moorings, wire, chain, string, fastener, fastening, tie, ligament, ligature, strap, tackle, rigging, standing rigging, running rigging, traces, harness, yoke, band ribband, bandage, brace, roller, fillet, inkle, with, withe, withy, thong, braid, girder, tiebeam, girth, girdle, cestus, garter, halter, noose, lasso, surcingle, knot, running knot, cabestro, cinch, lariat, legadero, oxreim, suspenders, pin, corking pin, nail, brad, tack, skewer, staple, corrugated fastener, clamp, U-clamp, C-clamp, cramp, cramp iron, ratchet, detent, larigo, pawl, terret, treenail, screw, button, buckle, clasp, hasp, hinge, hank, catch, latch, bolt, latchet, tag, tooth, hook, hook and eye, lock, holdfast, padlock, rivet, anchor, grappling iron, trennel, stake, post, cement, glue, gum, paste, size, wafer, solder, lute, putty, birdlime, mortar, stucco, plaster, grout, viscum, shackle, rein, prop.

Coherence

VB cohere, adhere, stick, cling, cleave, hold, take hold of, hold fast, close with, clasp, hug, grow together, hang together, twine round, stick like a leech, stick like wax, stick close, cling like ivy, cling like a bur, adhere like a remora, adhere like Dejanira's shirt, glue, agglutinate, conglutinate, cement, lute, paste, gum, solder, weld, cake, consolidate, agglomerate.

Hardness

N hardness, rigidity, renitence, renitency, inflexibility, temper, callosity, durity, induration, petrifaction, lapidification, lapidescence, vitrification, ossification, crystallization, stone, pebble, flint, marble, rock, fossil, crag, crystal, quartz, granite, adamant, bone, cartilage, hardware, heart of oak, block, board, deal board, iron, steel, cast iron, decarbonized iron, wrought iron, nail, brick, concrete, cement, hard, rigid, stubborn, stiff, firm, starch, starched, stark, unbending, unlimber, unyielding, inflexible, tense, indurate, indurated, gritty, proof, adamant, adamantine, adamantean, concrete, stony, granitic, calculous, lithic, vitreous, horny, corneous, bony, osseous, ossific, cartilaginous, hard as a rock, stiff as buckram, stiff as a poker, stiff as starch, stiff as as board.

Tenacity

N tenacity, toughness, strength, (cohesion), grip, grasp, stickiness, (cohesion), sequacity, stubbornness (obstinacy), glue, cement, glutinousness, sequaciousness, viscidity, (semiliquidity), leather, white leather, whitleather, gristle, cartilage, unbreakability, tensile strength, tenacious, tough, strong, resisting, sequacious, stringy, gristly cartilaginous, leathery, coriaceous, tough as whitleather, stubborn, unbreakable, indivisible, atomic.

For further exploring for "cement" in Webster Dictionary Online