half-timbered
|half-tim-bered|
🇺🇸
/ˌhæfˈtɪmbərd/
🇬🇧
/ˌhɑːfˈtɪmbəd/
exposed timber frame
Etymology
'half-timbered' originates from English, formed from 'half' + 'timber' + the participial suffix '-ed', where 'half' meant 'part' and 'timber' meant 'wood used for building (timber, frame).
'half' comes from Old English 'healf' and 'timber' from Old English 'timber' (from Proto-Germanic *timbrą); the compound 'half-timber' (describing partly exposed timber framing) appears in Middle English and the adjectival form 'half-timbered' developed from that compound.
Initially it described the method/appearance of construction — 'with partly exposed timber framing' — and this core meaning has been retained into modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a building that is half-timbered; a house or structure whose timber frame is exposed and visible on the exterior.
Several well-preserved half-timbereds line the old market square.
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Adjective 1
constructed with a visible timber frame and infill panels (e.g., wattle and daub, brick); having exposed wooden beams as a prominent feature of the exterior walls.
The town is known for its picturesque half-timbered houses.
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Last updated: 2025/11/07 12:32