¹cement

noun ce·ment \si-ˈment also ˈsē-ment\

: a soft gray powder that is mixed with water and other substances to make concrete

: the hard substance that is made when cement is mixed with water and allowed to dry

: a substance that is used to make things stick together

Full Definition of CEMENT

a : concrete

b : a powder of alumina, silica, lime, iron oxide, and magnesium oxide burned together in a kiln and finely pulverized and used as an ingredient of mortar and concrete; also : any mixture used for a similar purpose

: a binding element or agency: as

a : a substance to make objects adhere to each other

b : something serving to unite firmly <justice is the cement that holds a political community together — R. M. Hutchins>

: cementum

: a plastic composition made especially of zinc or silica for filling dental cavities

: the fine-grained groundmass or glass of a porphyry

See cement defined for English-language learners

See cement defined for kids

Origin of CEMENT

Middle English sement, from Anglo-French ciment, from Latin caementum stone chips used in making mortar, from caedere to cut

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CEMENT

Synonyms: adhesive, bond, glue, size

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

Rhymes with CEMENT

absent, accent, Advent, anent, ascent, assent, augment, besprent, comment, consent, content, convent, descent, detent, dissent, docent, event, extent, ferment, foment, fragment, frequent, hell-bent, indent, intent, invent, lament, loment, low-rent, mordent, outspent, percent, pigment, portent, present, prevent, pup tent, quitrent, rack-rent, relent, repent, resent, segment, Shymkent, Tashkent, torment, well-meant, wisent

²cement

verb

: to join (things) together with cement

: to make (something) stronger

Full Definition of CEMENT

transitive verb

: to unite or make firm by or as if by cement

: to overlay with concrete

intransitive verb

: to become cemented

— ce·ment·er noun

See cement defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of CEMENT

14th century

CEMENT Defined for Kids

¹cement

noun ce·ment \si-ˈment\

Definition of CEMENT for Kids

: a powder that is made mainly from compounds of aluminum, calcium, silicon, and iron heated together and then ground and mixed with water to make mortar and concrete

: ²concrete, mortar

: a substance used to make things stick together firmly

²cement

verb

ce·ment·edce·ment·ing

Definition of CEMENT for Kids

: to join together with or as if with cement <There were sheets of ice … cementing the tops of the hemlocks in arches. — Jean Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain>

: to make stronger <The experience cemented their friendship.>

Medical Dictionary