skins, as of martens, ermines, sables, etc., packed between boards; being in some cases forty skins, in
others one hundred and twenty; called also timmer. [Written also timbre.]
Timber
(Tim"ber), n. [F. timbre. See Timbre.] (Her.) The crest on a coat of arms. [Written also timbre.]
Timber
(Tim"ber), v. t. To surmount as a timber does. [Obs.]
Timber
(Tim"ber), n. [AS. timbor, timber, wood, building; akin to OFries. timber, D. timmer a room,
G. zimmer, OHG. zimbar timber, a dwelling, room, Icel. timbr timber, Sw. timmer, Dan. tömmer,
Goth. timrjan to build, timrja a builder, L. domus a house, Gr. house, to build, Skr. dama a house.
&radic62. Cf. Dome, Domestic.]
1. That sort of wood which is proper for buildings or for tools, utensils, furniture, carriages, fences, ships,
and the like; usually said of felled trees, but sometimes of those standing. Cf. Lumber, 3.
And ta'en my fiddle to the gate, . . .
And fiddled in the timber!
Tennyson. 2. The body, stem, or trunk of a tree.
3. Fig.: Material for any structure.
Such dispositions are the very errors of human nature; and yet they are the fittest timber to make politics
of.
Bacon. 4. A single piece or squared stick of wood intended for building, or already framed; collectively, the larger
pieces or sticks of wood, forming the framework of a house, ship, or other structure, in distinction from
the covering or boarding.
So they prepared timber . . . to build the house.
1 Kings v. 18.
Many of the timbers were decayed.
W. Coxe. 5. Woods or forest; wooden land. [Western U. S.]
6. (Shipbuilding) A rib, or a curving piece of wood, branching outward from the keel and bending upward
in a vertical direction. One timber is composed of several pieces united.
Timber and room. (Shipbuilding) Same as Room and space. See under Room. Timber beetle
(Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of beetles the larvæ of which bore in timber; as, the silky timber
beetle Timber doodle (Zoöl.), the American woodcock. [Local, U. S.] Timber grouse (Zoöl.),
any species of grouse that inhabits woods, as the ruffed grouse and spruce partridge; distinguished
from prairie grouse. Timber hitch (Naut.), a kind of hitch used for temporarily marking fast a rope
to a spar. See Illust. under Hitch. Timber mare, a kind of instrument upon which soldiers were
formerly compelled to ride for punishment. Johnson. Timber scribe, a metal tool or pointed instrument
for marking timber. Simmonds. Timber sow. (Zoöl.) Same as Timber worm, below. Bacon.
Timber tree, a tree suitable for timber. Timber worm (Zoöl.), any larval insect which burrows in
timber. Timber yard, a yard or place where timber is deposited.
Timber
(Tim"ber) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Timbered ; p. pr. & vb. n. Timbering.] To furnish with timber;
chiefly used in the past participle.
His bark is stoutly timbered.
Shak. Timber
(Tim"ber), v. i.
1. To light on a tree. [Obs.]