Cement Is an Ingredient; Concrete Is the Result
Cement binds materials together. It is not the same as concrete, and builders are strict about the difference.
Cement is a powder that hardens when mixed with water and binds other materials. It is not concrete: concrete is cement plus sand, gravel and water. Saying a concrete pavement is made of cement is like saying a cake is made of flour — true as far as it goes, and wrong as a description.
- A binding powder. *A bag of cement.*
- To bind together. *Cement the relationship.*
- An adhesive. *Rubber cement.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cement | Portland cement. |
| Verb | cement | Cement the deal. |
| Past | cemented | A cemented alliance. |
| Related | concrete | Reinforced concrete. |
| Related | mortar | Lime mortar. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The visit cemented the alliance.Figurative.
- Portland cement is the common type.Named for its resemblance to Portland stone.
- Roman concrete survives two thousand years.It used volcanic ash.
Cement, concrete, mortar
- Cement — the binding powder
- Concrete — cement, aggregate and water
- Mortar — cement, sand and water, for laying bricks
- Aggregate — the sand and gravel in concrete
- Rebar — steel bars giving concrete tensile strength
From Old French *ciment*, from Latin *caementum*, quarried stone chips used in mortar, from *caedere*, to cut.
Cement or concrete?
Cement is the powder that binds. Concrete is the finished material made with it, plus aggregate and water.
Why is Roman concrete so durable?
It used volcanic ash, which reacts with seawater over time to form new minerals that fill cracks.