concrete

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin concretus, from past participle of concrescere Date: 14th century 1. naming a real thing or class of things <

the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract

> 2. formed by coalition of particles into one solid mass 3. a. characterized by or belonging to immediate experience of actual things or events b. specific, particular <

a concrete proposal

> c. real, tangible <

concrete evidence

> 4. relating to or made of concrete <

a concrete wall

> • concretely adverb • concreteness noun II. verb (concreted; concreting) Date: 1590 transitive verb 1. a. to form into a solid mass ; solidify b. combine, blend 2. to make actual or real ; cause to take on the qualities of reality 3. to cover with, form of, or set in concrete intransitive verb to become concreted III. noun Date: 1656 1. a mass formed by concretion or coalescence of separate particles of matter in one body 2. a hard strong building material made by mixing a cementing material (as portland cement) and a mineral aggregate (as sand and gravel) with sufficient water to cause the cement to set and bind the entire mass 3. a waxy essence of flowers prepared by extraction and evaporation and used in perfumery