Search the Dictionary

To burst open; to split. Shak. Timber . . . not apt to rif with ordnance. Bacon.

A species of pine (Pinus sylvestris), and its wood, which affords a valuable timber; -- called also Scotch pine, and red or yellow deal. It grows in all parts of Europe, in the Caucasus, and in Siberia.

To rend asunder by force; to split; to cleave; as, to rive timber for rails or shingles. I shall ryve him through the sides twain. Chaucer. The scolding winds have rived the knotty oaks. Shak. Brutus hath rived my heart. Shak.

To hew coarsely, without smoothing; as, to roughhew timber.

Pieces of undressed timber put under the steps of a wooden stair for their support.

y; a full, brisk, quick trot. Addison. -- Round turn (Naut.), one turn of a rope round a timber, a belaying pin, etc. -- To bring up with a round turn, to stop abruptly. [Colloq.]

A floor timber in a ship.

The upper end of a floor timber in a ship.

An East Indian timber tree (Shorea robusta), much used for building purposes. It is of a light brown color, close-grained, and durable. [Written also saul.]

To fill with salt between the timbers and planks, as a ship, for the preservation of the timber. To salt a mine, to artfully deposit minerals in a mine in order to deceive purchasers regarding its value. [Cant] -- To salt away, To salt down, to prepare with, or pack in, salt for preserving, as meat, eggs, etc.; hence,…

To cut with a saw; to separate with a saw; as, to saw timber or marble.

A mill for sawing, especially one for sawing timber or lumber.

One whose occupation is to saw timber into planks or boards, or to saw wood for fuel; a sawer.

A temporary structure of timber, boards, etc., for various purposes, as for supporting workmen and materials in building, for exhibiting a spectacle upon, for holding the spectators at a show, etc. Pardon, gentles all, The flat, unraised spirits that have dared On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth So great an objec…

A piece of timber sawed or cut of a small size, as for studs, rails, etc.

To form a scarf on the end or edge of, as for a joint in timber, metal rods, etc.

, or notches; to cut notches or furrows in; to notch; to scratch; to furrow; as, to score timber for hewing; to score the back with a lash. Let us score their backs. Shak. A briar in that tangled wilderness Had scored her white right hand. M. Arnold.

Hence, to prepare by drying or hardening, or removal of natural juices; as, to season timber.

A fissure or crack in timber, caused by its being dried too suddenly. Gwilt.

Full of shakes or cracks; cracked; as, shaky timber. Gwilt.