I. ˈtimbə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English timber, timmer, from Old English timber house, building, building material, wood, trees; akin to Old High German zimbar house, room, wood, Old Norse timbr timber, Latin domus house, Greek domos house, demein to build, Sanskrit dama house
1.
a.
(1) : growing trees or their wood
standing timber
(2) English law : trees (as oak, ash, elm over 20 years old) that are part of a freehold and may not be cut by a life tenant
b. : a wooded area : forest
the early settlers had clung to rivers and timbers — Carl Sandburg
hid out in the big timber — Vance Randolph
c. : a standing tree or its trunk — often used interjectionally as a shout of warning to those near a falling tree
2. : wood used for or suitable for building (as a house or boat) or for carpentry or joinery
the turner, who concentrated on chair making, had beech for his favorite timber — Andrew Phelan
tropical wet evergreen forest producing valuable timbers — S.H.Howard
3.
a. : material , stuff
believe it's best-seller timber — Richard Mallett
b. : something that helps to form a person : individual character or one of its constituents
in this testing … inner timbers begin to part at once, the stuff of which he is made begins at once to deteriorate — F.R.Leavis
c. : human material suitable for a particular position or status
presidential timber
management timber
officer timber
d. : bony structure in a dog
4. : something that is made of wood or is likened to a wooden object: as
a. : a wooden gate, fence, post, or rail required to be jumped by a horse
take a pull on your horse, considerably easing your pace as you near the timber — C.C.W.Aldin
b. slang sx leg
hobbled out on my gouty timbers for a walk — C.B.Fairbanks
5.
a.
(1) : a comparatively large squared or dressed piece of wood ready for use or forming part of a structure
roof timbers
bridge timbers
floor timbers
especially : one that in technical specifications usually is not less than 5 inches in least dimension — compare plank ; see roof illustration
(2) Britain : a piece of sawed wood that in technical specifications usually has a thickness of at least 4 1/2 inches and a width of at least 6 inches
b. Britain : lumber II 2a
c. : a curving frame branching outward from the keel of a ship and bending upward in a vertical direction that is usually composed of several pieces united : rib 3b(1)
II. verb
( timbered ; timbered ; timbering -b(ə)riŋ ; timbers )
Etymology: Middle English timbren, from Old English timbran, timbrian; akin to Old High German zimbarōn to construct of wood, Old Norse timbra, Gothic timrjan, Old English timber (I)
transitive verb
1. archaic : to construct of wood
2. : to frame, cover, or support with timbers
the boards would suit admirably for timbering cuts for drains — F.W.Crofts
intransitive verb
1. : to cut timber
a man timbering in the wooded area — Don Browning
2. : to provide timbers for support
in all work in clay it was found advisable to timber at once — Military Engineer
III. adjective
1. : formed of wood : wooden
2. : of, relating to, or for timber
3. Scotland : heavy as wood : dull ; specifically : having no ear for music
IV.
variant of timbre