cement

[ si-ment ]

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)

1. to unite by or as if by cement:

   to cement stones to form a wall; to cement a relationship.

   Synonyms: secure, fuse, bind, join, merge

2. to coat or cover with cement:

   to cement a floor.

verb (used without object)

1. to become cemented; join together or unite; cohere.

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

1. to reinforce or consolidate

   once a friendship is cemented it will last for life

2. to join, bind, or glue together with or as if with cement
3. to coat or cover with cement

Derived Forms

• ceˈmenter, noun

Other Words From

• ce·menta·ble adjective
• ce·menter noun
• ce·mentless adjective
• rece·ment verb
• well-ce·mented adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cement¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cement¹

C13: from Old French ciment, from Latin caementum stone from the quarry, from caedere to hew

Example Sentences

Canter says he feels fortunate for the way his career has panned out since missing the opportunity to cement his future on LIV.

From BBC

His second term will cement that legacy, likely locking in the Supreme Court’s hard-right bloc for generations.

From Slate

On Tuesday, the American people gave Trump an opportunity to cement that reactionary status for a long, long time.

From Slate

But with more than 96% of the vote counted, the Central Election Commission said Sandu had moved ahead with 52.9% of the vote, and with results still coming in from the expat vote she was expected to cement her lead.

From BBC

They also have Pages, Taylor and James Outman on the roster, but none of those three could cement everyday roles this year.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adhesive
• mud
• plaster
• sand