building paper

noun

1. heavy paper used especially in the construction of frame buildings to block drafts, for insulation, etc.

building paper

noun

1. any of various types of heavy-duty paper that usually consist of bitumen reinforced with fibre sandwiched between two sheets of kraft paper: used in damp-proofing or as insulation between the soil and a road surface

Word History and Origins

Origin of building paper¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

By meticulously building Paper Portal’s stock to reflect his reading life and aspirations, LaFlam is inviting others into a conversation about books and storytelling.

From Seattle Times

In those early years, he would play in the rubble of bombed-out buildings, clambering over the ruins, playing violent games with bricks, building paper airplanes out of the pages of discarded books.

From The Guardian

The wood framing is typically wrapped with building paper — probably tar paper 50 years ago — and then the bricks are installed with metal ties to the wall but with a small gap behind them.

From Washington Post

After a brief talk exhorting the kids to study hard, Barra and Parks, now vice president for product programs, joined the kids in the day’s lesson, building paper sailboats and using electric fans to race them across the classroom floor.

From BusinessWeek

After a brief talk exhorting the kids to study hard, Barra and Parks, now vice president for product programs, joined the kids in the day’s lesson, building paper sailboats and using electric fans to race them across the classroom floor.

From BusinessWeek