Timber vs. Wood — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 22, 2023
Timber refers to trees suitable for building or to the processed material itself, while wood is the hard, fibrous material making up most of a tree.
Difference Between Timber and Wood
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Timber and wood, while related, carry distinct connotations in various contexts. Timber commonly pertains to trees that have been or will be hewn for construction or other industrial purposes. This term might be used to describe a forest rich in trees apt for logging or even the processed logs themselves.
Wood, on the other hand, broadly describes the hard, fibrous substance composing the majority of a tree or shrub. Whether one speaks of the intricate patterns in a piece of wood or the type of wood used for a specific purpose, they're referencing the material itself and its inherent characteristics.
In the construction sector, when professionals mention timber, they often allude to the larger pieces of wood, such as beams or logs, intended for building structures. Conversely, wood can refer to smaller pieces, like planks or panels, which can be utilized for a multitude of purposes from crafting to furniture making.
In everyday language, one might say they're chopping wood for a fireplace or admire the wood grain on a polished table. On the contrary, a builder might order timber for an upcoming project, signaling a need for larger, structural elements. Both terms, while signifying different stages or uses, underline the intrinsic value and versatility of trees in human civilization.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Trees suitable for building or the processed material itself
The hard, fibrous material of a tree or shrub
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Common Use
Larger pieces like beams or logs for construction
General term for any piece, including planks and panels
Relation to Processing
Can refer to both raw and processed states for industrial use
Generally processed, but can refer to natural state
Context
Often industrial or construction-related
Broader usage, including crafting, burning, furniture, etc.
Size and Structure
Typically larger, structural elements
Can be any size, from tiny chips to large logs
Compare with Definitions
Timber
Processed logs for building.
The builders ordered more timber for the project.
Wood
The material from trees.
The wood from the oak tree was particularly strong.
Timber
Trees or wooded land considered as a source of wood.
Wood
Used for crafting or burning.
She gathered some wood for the campfire.
Timber
Wood used as a building material; lumber.
Wood
Describes the character of a tree's substance.
The wood grain was beautifully intricate.
Timber
A dressed piece of wood, especially a beam in a structure.
Wood
Refers to types or species.
Maple wood is ideal for furniture.
Timber
(Nautical) A rib in a ship's frame.
Wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic material – a natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin that resists compression.
Timber
A person considered to have qualities suited for a particular activity
That trainee is executive timber.
Wood
The hard fibrous material that forms the main substance of the trunk or branches of a tree or shrub, used for fuel or timber
A block of wood
Best quality woods were used for joinery
Timber
To support or frame with timbers
Timber a mine shaft.
Wood
An area of land, smaller than a forest, that is covered with growing trees
A thick hedge divided the wood from the field
A long walk in the woods
Timber
Used by one cutting down a tree to warn those around that the tree is about to fall.
Wood
The secondary xylem of trees and shrubs, lying beneath the bark and consisting largely of cellulose and lignin.
Timber
(uncountable) Trees in a forest regarded as a source of wood.
Collect timber
Cut down timber
Wood
This tissue when cut and dried, used especially for building material and fuel.
Timber
Wood that has been pre-cut and is ready for use in construction.
Wood
A growth of trees and other plants usually covering a smaller area than a forest.
Timber
(countable) A heavy wooden beam, generally a whole log that has been squared off and used to provide heavy support for something such as a roof.
The timbers of a ship
Wood
A forest.
Timber
Material for any structure.
Wood
(Music) A woodwind.
Timber
The wooden stock of a rifle or shotgun.
Wood
(Sports) Any of a series of golf clubs used to hit long shots, having a bulbous head made of wood, metal, or graphite, and numbered one to five in order of increasing loft.
Timber
(archaic) A certain quantity of fur skins (as of martens, ermines, sables, etc.) packed between boards; in some cases forty skins, in others one hundred and twenty. Also timmer, timbre.
Wood
To fuel with wood.
Timber
Used by loggers to warn others that a tree being felled is falling.
Wood
To cover with trees; forest.
Timber
(transitive) To fit with timbers.
Timbering a roof
Wood
To gather or be supplied with wood.
Timber
To construct, frame, build.
Wood
Made or consisting of wood; wooden.
Timber
To light or land on a tree.
Wood
Used or suitable for cutting, storing, or working with wood.
Timber
(obsolete) To make a nest.
Wood
Woods Living, growing, or present in forests
Woods animals.
A woods path.
Timber
(transitive) To surmount as a timber does.
Wood
Mentally deranged.
Timber
A certain quantity of fur 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.
Wood
(uncountable) The substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc. or as fuel.
This table is made of wood.
There was lots of wood on the beach.
Timber
The crest on a coat of arms.
Wood
(countable) The wood of a particular species of tree.
Teak is much used for outdoor benches, but a number of other woods are also suitable, such as ipé, redwood, etc.
Timber
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!
Wood
A forested or wooded area.
A wood beyond this moor was viewed as a border area in the seventeenth century.
He got lost in the woods beyond Seattle.
Timber
The body, stem, or trunk of a tree.
Wood
Firewood.
We need more wood for the fire.
Timber
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.
Wood
A type of golf club, the head of which was traditionally made of wood.
Timber
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.
Many of the timbers were decayed.
Wood
(music) A woodwind instrument.
Timber
Woods or forest; wooden land.
Wood
An erection of the penis.
That girl at the strip club gave me wood.
Timber
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.
Wood
Chess pieces.
Timber
To surmount as a timber does.
Wood
A peckerwood.
Timber
To furnish with timber; - chiefly used in the past participle.
His bark is stoutly timbered.
Wood
(transitive) To cover or plant with trees.
Timber
To light on a tree.
Wood
To hide behind trees.
Timber
To make a nest.
Wood
(transitive) To supply with wood, or get supplies of wood for.
To wood a steamboat or a locomotive
Timber
The wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
Wood
(intransitive) To take or get a supply of wood.
Timber
A beam made of wood
Wood
(obsolete) Mad, insane, crazed.
Timber
A post made of wood
Wood
Mad; insane; possessed; rabid; furious; frantic.
Our hoste gan to swear as [if] he were wood.
Timber
Land that is covered with trees and shrubs
Wood
To grow mad; to act like a madman; to mad.
Timber
(music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound);
The timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely
The muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet
Wood
To supply with wood, or get supplies of wood for; as, to wood a steamboat or a locomotive.
Timber
Trees fit for construction.
The forest was full of prime timber.
Wood
To take or get a supply of wood.
Timber
Larger pieces for structures.
The house's frame was made of strong timber.
Wood
A large and thick collection of trees; a forest or grove; - frequently used in the plural.
Light thickens, and the crowMakes wing to the rooky wood.
Timber
A term in forestry for valuable trees.
The timber yield this year was high.
Wood
The substance of trees and the like; the hard fibrous substance which composes the body of a tree and its branches, and which is covered by the bark; timber.
Timber
Wood prepared for use.
The carpenter selected the best timber for the job.
Wood
The fibrous material which makes up the greater part of the stems and branches of trees and shrubby plants, and is found to a less extent in herbaceous stems. It consists of elongated tubular or needle-shaped cells of various kinds, usually interwoven with the shinning bands called silver grain.
Wood
Trees cut or sawed for the fire or other uses.
We cast the lots . . . for the wood offering.
Wood
The hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
Wood
The trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
Wood
United States film actress (1938-1981)
Wood
English conductor (1869-1944)
Wood
English writer of novels about murders and thefts and forgeries (1814-1887)
Wood
United States painter noted for works based on life in the Midwest (1892-1942)
Wood
Any wind instrument other than the brass instruments
Wood
A golf club with a long shaft used to hit long shots; originally made with a wooden head; metal woods are now available
Wood
Any part of a tree, processed or not.
The artist carved a figure from a piece of wood.
Common Curiosities
Can timber be used to describe a forest?
Yes, "timber" can describe a forest rich in trees suitable for logging.
Is wood always processed?
No, wood can refer to both the natural state and processed material.
Which term is broader, timber or wood?
Wood is a broader term, encompassing all parts and types of trees.
What's the main difference between timber and wood?
Timber often refers to trees for construction or processed logs, while wood is the material of the tree itself.
Would you use timber for crafting small items?
Typically, "wood" is used in that context, but "timber" can be used if referring to the raw material source.
Can you call a wooden plank "timber"?
It's more accurate to call it "wood," but in some contexts, it might be referred to as timber.
Are all woods suitable as timber?
No, only woods with suitable strength and durability are considered good timber.
How is timber processed?
Timber is usually sawn into beams, planks, and other shapes for construction.
Are timber and lumber the same?
While similar, timber often refers to larger pieces, while lumber is processed wood for building.
Is wood grain a feature of timber?
Wood grain is a feature of wood, but since timber is a form of wood, it also has grain.
How is wood categorized?
Wood can be categorized by species, usage, hardness, and other factors.
What's a common use for timber in households?
Timber is commonly used for structural elements like beams and frames in houses.
Can any tree be considered timber?
Not all trees. Only those suitable for construction or industrial use are typically called timber.
Can wood be recycled?
Yes, wood can be recycled and repurposed in various ways.
Which is more valuable, timber or wood?
It depends on the context. Timber is often more valuable in construction, but certain types of wood can be rare and valuable.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
