Civil Engineering Glossary

noun a structure or platform for supporting a ship in a dry condition, as during construction or repair

• The ship was brought into the dry dock for repairs.
• They're fixing up the boat in the dry dock.
• The crew is giving the ship a makeover in the dry dock.
• Sometimes we all need to go into a 'dry dock' to repair and rejuvenate ourselves.

noun a loose aggregation of small water-worn or pounded stones

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• The driveway was covered in a layer of fine gravel.
• I slipped on the loose gravel while walking down the path.
• Let's kick up some gravel on this dirt road!
• The sound of gravel in his voice indicated his uncertainty.

noun a flood or overwhelming abundance of something

• The city was hit by an inundation of floodwaters after the heavy rainstorm.
• The street was flooded with an inundation of water from the burst pipe.
• Dude, did you see the inundation of memes on social media last night?
• Her emotions were like an inundation, overwhelming her in a wave of sadness.

noun a marker along a road or highway that indicates the distance in miles from a specific point

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• The milepost on the highway indicated that we were only 20 miles away from our destination.
• I always use the milepost to know how far I am from home.
• I saw the milepost and knew we were getting close to the beach.
• The successful completion of the project was a milepost in her career.

noun a path for pedestrians alongside a road or street, typically paved or made of concrete

• She walked along the sidewalk, taking in the sights of the city.
• Let's take a stroll on the sidewalk and grab some ice cream.
• I saw him chilling on the sidewalk with his crew.
• The path to success is like a sidewalk - sometimes smooth, sometimes bumpy.

noun a branch of science that deals with the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the earth, including its formation, classification, mapping, and management

• Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth.
• I find soil science fascinating because it helps us understand how soil works.
• Who knew soil science could be so interesting?
• Exploring soil science is like delving into the secrets of the Earth itself.

noun a public road in a city or town, typically with houses and buildings on one or both sides

• The new office building is located on a busy street in the downtown area.
• Let's meet at the coffee shop down the street.
• I saw that new movie star walking down the street yesterday.
• She was on the street for years before finally finding a stable job.

verb to divide into smaller parts or sections

• The land developer plans to subdivide the large property into smaller lots for residential development.
• They're going to subdivide the field into smaller sections for different crops.
• Let's chop up this project and subdivide the tasks to make it more manageable.
• Sometimes it's necessary to subdivide a problem into smaller parts in order to find a solution.

noun A road or path forming a route between two places.

• The main thoroughfare through the city is always busy with traffic.
• Let's take a shortcut through this alley instead of walking down the main thoroughfare.
• I heard there's a cool new food truck parked on the thoroughfare by the park.
• In order to succeed in business, you must navigate the thoroughfare of competition with skill and determination.

noun the quality or state of being turbid; cloudiness or opaqueness in a liquid, caused by the presence of particles

adjective turbid, having the quality of being cloudy or opaque in a liquid

• The turbidity of the water sample was measured using a nephelometer.
• You can tell the water is dirty just by looking at the turbidity.
• The turbidity of that water is off the charts!
• The turbidity of the situation clouded his judgment.

noun a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms

• The water from the river is used for irrigation purposes.
• Hey, can you pass me a bottle of water?
• I'm feeling thirsty, I need some H2O.
• Her words were like water, soothing and comforting.

noun a navigable route for traveling by water, such as a river, canal, or channel

• The construction of a new waterway will improve transportation efficiency in the region.
• Let's take a boat ride down the waterway and enjoy the scenic views.
• I heard there's a cool spot to swim in that waterway over there.
• Navigating through the challenges of life is like maneuvering through a complex waterway.

noun a facing of stone, concrete, or other material used to prevent erosion

verb to face with stone, concrete, or other material to prevent erosion

• The engineers decided to revet the riverbank to prevent erosion.
• We need to revet this wall before it collapses.
• Let's revet this fence before it falls down.
• He reveted his emotions, keeping them hidden from everyone.

noun a deep hole or shaft sunk into the ground to obtain water, oil, gas, or brine

verb to cause liquid to go out from something by making a hole in it

adjective in good health; not sick or injured

adverb in a good or satisfactory way

• The well drain was properly maintained to ensure the water supply remained uncontaminated.
• Make sure you clean out the well drain so we don't have any issues with the water.
• I had to get down and dirty to clear out the well drain, but it's all good now.
• His emotions were like a well drain, all blocked up and in need of a good release.

verb to freeze again

• After thawing the meat, it is important to make sure it is cooked before you refreeze it.
• If you defrost the ice cream, you can't just refreeze it and expect it to taste the same.
• Don't refreeze that pizza, it's already been thawed out twice!
• Once you break someone's trust, it is difficult to refreeze the relationship back to its original state.

noun a temporary mold or structure used to hold wet concrete in the desired shape until it hardens

• The construction workers carefully assembled the formwork before pouring the concrete.
• Make sure you set up the formwork correctly so the concrete doesn't spill everywhere.
• I'll help you with the formwork, just give me a shout.
• Setting up the formwork is like laying the groundwork for a successful project.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'cutting' can also be considered a noun, representing the act of making incisions or separations.

verb a verb is a word that expresses an action or state of being. In this case, 'cutting' is a verb that describes the action of making incisions or separations.

• The process of accretion cutting involves the gradual increase in size by cutting away excess material.
• Accretion cutting is like slowly trimming down something to make it smaller.
• When you do accretion cutting, you're basically shaving off bits until it's the right size.
• In life, we often have to practice accretion cutting by eliminating the unnecessary to focus on what truly matters.

noun a type of surveying that is conducted from the air using aircraft or drones

• The government conducted an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by the natural disaster.
• They used a helicopter for the aerial survey of the area.
• The aerial survey was done using a drone, pretty cool, huh?
• The CEO decided to take an aerial survey of the company's financial health before making any big decisions.