cement

noun

ce·ment | \ si-ˈment also ˈsē-ment

Definition of cement

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

2 : a binding element or agency: such 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

3 : cementum

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

5 : the fine-grained groundmass or glass of a porphyry

cement

verb

cemented; cementing; cements

Definition of cement (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to unite or make firm by or as if by cement Pebbles were cemented together by clay. has cemented his role as a leader on the team— T. W. Smith

2 : to overlay with concrete cemented the cellar floor

intransitive verb

: to become cemented

Other Words from cement Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cement

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Synonyms for cement

Synonyms: Noun

adhesive, bond, glue, size

Examples of cement in a Sentence

Noun

There is a layer of cement under the bricks. what kind of cement works best on glass and pottery?

Verb

A win would cement her reputation as a strong competitor.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But at least a third of the cement-block houses now sit empty, their owners having migrated. — Kirk Semple, New York Times, "Mexican Opium Prices Plummet, Driving Poppy Farmers to Migrate," 7 July 2019 Outside, lorries carrying everything from cement to electronic goods rattle back and forth. — The Economist, "Uzbekistan’s government is rapidly overhauling the economy," 5 July 2019 Portland police took a social media shake-in-the-face for tweeting out that some milkshakes distributed last weekend at a convergence of protests downtown contained quick-drying cement. — oregonlive.com, "No concrete in these milkshakes. Portland protests highlight American classic, so here are some options for non-weaponized treats," 4 July 2019 Lighter materials like cement reflect most visible light, so few photons are absorbed. — Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, "Attempting to Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk Has Been a Summer Pastime for Over 100 Years," 4 July 2019 The ficus trees have caused structural damage to the building's foundation and are growing over the cement. — Paulina Pineda, azcentral, "4 massive ficus trees surrounding Tempe City Hall to be cut down," 3 July 2019 About hot-mix asphalt Hot mix asphalt is made by combining stone, sand or gravel with asphalt cement and heating the mixture, which is then laid for roads. — Paul Cobler, Dallas News, "Frisco officials, residents go after asphalt plant with complaint history, urge state not to renew permit," 3 July 2019 The latter includes wood flooring, cabinets, light fixtures, outlets, Nest smoke detectors—wood trim and cement for making the countertops and showers. — Tainaya Nash, House Beautiful, "This DIY Luxury Cabin Will Give You All The Bragging Rights This Fall," 1 July 2019 Portland police also tweeted there were reports that some of the milkshakes thrown by protesters included quick-drying cement. — CBS News, "Clashes between right-wing demonstrations and antifa turn into civil disturbance in Portland," 30 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Aaron Long, Tyler Boyd, Nick Lima and Paul Arriola are among those who’ve made significant progress toward cementing their international status. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "Final vs. Mexico Changes Meaning, Perspective of Gold Cup for USA," 6 July 2019 Just a few weeks later, Centineo once again played the romantic lead in Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, cementing his status as a rom-com hunk. — Nigel Smith, PEOPLE.com, "Noah Centineo Thanks Lana Condor's Lips After Winning Best Kiss at MTV Movie & TV Awards," 17 June 2019 That’s clearly not the case for Madonna, who cemented her status as a global pop icon early in her career and never stopped innovating. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz at Work, "Madonna has a message about aging and work that you probably need to hear," 8 June 2019 The better news: She's asked you to be her maid of honor, cementing your status as BFF. — Country Living, "How to Write the Best Maid of Honor Speech," 16 May 2019 The question becomes whether Bam Adebayo has cemented himself as Pat Riley’s center of the future, or whether more is needed than a rim-running, shot-blocking big man. — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, "NBA draft preview: Is post-Whiteside era at center the Heat’s next frontier?," 18 June 2019 May is keen to cement a legacy beyond Brexit in her final weeks as prime minister. — Karla Adam, BostonGlobe.com, "May pledges to pass law to eliminate UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050," 12 June 2019 May is keen to cement a legacy beyond Brexit in her final weeks as prime minister. — Karla Adam, Washington Post, "Britain pledges to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050," 12 June 2019 Last night, the show returned for season two and cemented the Killing Eve legacy: This is a spy series made by and for women. — Jill Gutowitz, Glamour, "Killing Eve Is Made for Women By Women, and It Shows," 8 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for cement

cement

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cement

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

cement

verb

English Language Learners Definition of cement (Entry 2 of 2)

: to join (things) together with cement

: to make (something) stronger

See the full definition for cement in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cement

noun

ce·ment | \ si-ˈment

Kids Definition of cement

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : 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

2 : concrete entry 2, mortar

3 : a substance used to make things stick together firmly

cement

verb

cemented; cementing

Kids Definition of cement (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : 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

2 : to make stronger The experience cemented their friendship.