concrete.

A hard building material made by binding aggregates such as sand and gravel with cement and water.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• poured concrete
• reinforced concrete
• bare concrete

On the page

Bare concrete made the lobby feel unfinished despite its expensive furniture.

They poured the concrete before dawn to avoid the worst heat.

A rust stain marked where the railing entered the concrete.

Usage notes

Primary category: architecture. Cement is an ingredient, not a synonym for the entire mixture; reinforced concrete contains additional strengthening material. Mass noun in building usage; no ordinary plural.