a strong hard building material composed of sand and gravel and cement and water
"The workers mixed sand, gravel, cement, and water to create the concrete needed for the new sidewalk foundation."
A solid mass formed by the coalescence of separate particles; a compound substance, a concretion.
"The geologist carefully examined the smooth concrete that had formed inside the ancient riverbed from tiny grains fused together over millennia."
In plain English: Concrete is a hard, man-made building material made by mixing cement, sand, and gravel that sets into a solid block.
"The builder poured fresh concrete to repair the broken sidewalk."
Usage: Use this word to describe hard building materials like sidewalks or foundations made from mixed cement and gravel. It refers specifically to the physical substance itself rather than abstract ideas or specific architectural styles.
form into a solid mass; coalesce
"After hours of stirring, the heated chocolate finally cooled and began to concrete into a smooth, glossy bar."
To cover with or encase in concrete (building material).
"The construction crew decided to pour fresh concrete over the old foundation before sealing the cracks."
In plain English: To make something firm and solid by adding water to it so it hardens.
"The teacher told us to write down our answers in concrete terms."
Usage: Do not use "concrete" as a verb to mean making something specific; instead, rely on forms like "specify," "clarify," or "define." The verb form of concrete strictly means to build structures by pouring and covering them with wet building material.
capable of being perceived by the senses; not abstract or imaginary
"concrete objects such as trees"
formed by the coalescence of particles
"The dried paint left a rough, gritty texture on the wall because it was composed entirely of pigment particles that had coalesced into a solid film."
Real, actual, tangible.
"The lawyer asked for concrete evidence to prove his client's innocence rather than just hearsay."
In plain English: Concrete describes something that is real, specific, and based on facts rather than ideas or feelings.
"The architect chose concrete materials to build a strong foundation for the new house."
Usage: Use concrete as an adjective to describe something that is real, specific, or based on facts rather than abstract ideas. For example, say you need concrete evidence instead of just theories.
The word concrete comes from the Latin concrētus, which originally meant "curdled" or "clotted." It entered English to describe a hard material formed by substances growing together.