Construction Industry Vocabulary

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun

• The surgeon's steady big hand carefully performed the delicate operation.
• My dad's got a big hand, so he's great at fixing things around the house.
• I high-fived my friend with a big hand after we won the game.
• The CEO had a big hand in shaping the company's success.

noun a small disk or knob that is sewn on a garment and is used to fasten it by being pushed through a slit or loop

verb to fasten or close with buttons

adverb in a manner that involves fastening or closing with buttons

• He always makes sure to button up his shirt before going to work.
• Don't forget to button up your jacket before going outside.
• I had to button up my coat because it was freezing outside.
• It's time to button up and focus on finishing this project.

verb to enter into a formal agreement or contract

adjective affected by a disease or condition that has become shorter, narrower, or tighter

• The company contracted with a new supplier for raw materials.
• I contracted a local handyman to fix the leaky faucet in my kitchen.
• I contracted my friend to help me move into my new apartment.
• She contracted a case of wanderlust after watching a travel documentary.

noun a person who dispatches something, especially a person who sends out vehicles according to a schedule

• The dispatcher coordinated the delivery schedule for the entire fleet of trucks.
• The dispatcher told the driver to head to the warehouse for the next pick-up.
• The dispatcher is the one who calls the shots and keeps everything running smoothly.
• In a way, the dispatcher is like the conductor of a symphony, directing all the moving parts to work together harmoniously.

noun the act of forcing a material through a shaped opening or die

• The extrusion process involves forcing material through a die to create a specific shape.
• They use extrusion to make those plastic tubes.
• I heard they're extruding some new product at the factory.
• His words seemed to be an extrusion of his true feelings.

noun the extent or range of something

adjective complete or comprehensive

• The project manager presented a detailed plan outlining the full scope of the project.
• I finally understand the full scope of what needs to be done for this assignment.
• I had no idea the full scope of the situation until I talked to him.
• Her knowledge of history is so vast, it's like she has the full scope of all events in her mind.

noun a person who shirks work or responsibility

verb to shirk work or responsibility

• The employee was accused of being a goldbrick for consistently avoiding work.
• I heard that new guy is a total goldbrick, always finding excuses to slack off.
• Don't be such a goldbrick and help out with the project.
• Her heart was like a goldbrick, cold and unyielding.

noun the act of pulling or dragging something with effort or force

• The company specializes in hauling heavy machinery for construction projects.
• My brother is always hauling junk home from the flea market.
• I'm tired of hauling ass to get to work on time every morning.
• She felt like she was hauling the weight of the world on her shoulders.

noun a device operated by a key, combination, or keycard and used to secure a door, gate, or container

verb to fasten with a lock

adverb in a manner that secures something with a lock

• The security guard will lock up the building at the end of the day.
• Don't forget to lock up before you leave the house.
• I always make sure to lock up tight when I'm out of town.
• She felt like she had to lock up her emotions to protect herself from getting hurt.

verb to grind or crush into a fine powder or small particles

adjective referring to something that has been processed or ground in a mill

• The wheat was milled into flour at the local bakery.
• I heard they milled the wood for the new furniture at the workshop.
• I'm going to mill around the mall this weekend.
• Her mind milled over the decision for days before finally making a choice.

noun a person's work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

article a particular item or object, typically one of a specified type

• It is important to always maintain professionalism on the job.
• Just make sure to do your best on the job, and you'll be fine.
• I always give 110% on the job to impress my boss.
• Being a team player on the job can really help with overall success.

adjective involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty

• The onerous task of reviewing all the legal documents fell on the team of paralegals.
• It's so onerous having to clean out the garage every spring.
• I can't believe how onerous this homework assignment is!
• The weight of her responsibilities felt onerous, like carrying a heavy burden.

noun a state of disorder or imbalance

adverb not functioning correctly or properly

• The project timeline was out of kilter due to unexpected delays.
• The party was really out of kilter because of the bad weather.
• His outfit was completely out of kilter with the dress code.
• Her emotions were out of kilter after the breakup.

noun the process of creating or presenting a work of art, literature, or music for public view or consumption

• The company invested in new technology to increase production efficiency.
• We need to step up our production game if we want to meet the deadline.
• Let's crank up the production and get this project finished.
• Her production of ideas never seems to run out, she's always full of creativity.

adjective having a rough, irregular, or uneven surface; tough and strong; suitable for rough use or conditions

• The rugged terrain made it difficult for the hikers to navigate.
• I love exploring rugged landscapes with my friends.
• That guy is so rugged, he never shaves or combs his hair.
• Her rugged determination helped her overcome all obstacles in her way.

noun A person whose job is to examine and record the details of a piece of land, usually for the purpose of creating a map or determining property boundaries

• The surveyor carefully measured the land to create an accurate map.
• The surveyor dude was out there with his measuring tape, doing his thing.
• The surveyor was on site, checking out the lay of the land.
• As a surveyor of human behavior, she was skilled at reading people's emotions.

noun a person who works in a yard, such as a railroad yard or a lumber yard

• The yardman meticulously tended to the gardens and lawns of the estate.
• The yardman is always out there working hard in the yard.
• My buddy is the best yardman in town, he can make any yard look amazing.
• She was the yardman of the group, always taking care of everyone's needs and making sure everything was in order.

noun a person who extracts stone or other materials from a quarry

• The quarrier diligently extracted the valuable minerals from the mine.
• The quarrier was working hard in the quarry all day.
• The quarrier was busting rocks in the quarry.
• She was a quarrier of knowledge, always seeking to learn new things.

noun a person who engages in pointless or wasteful work

• The boondoggler was found to be misusing company funds for personal gain.
• Don't trust that boondoggler with your money, he's always up to something shady.
• I can't believe that boondoggler got away with stealing from the charity.
• The politician was known as a master boondoggler, always finding ways to manipulate the system for his own benefit.

noun a dull gray alloy of lead and tin used to coat iron or steel to prevent rusting

• The terne coating on the roof helps to protect it from corrosion.
• I love the look of terne roofs, they have a unique charm.
• Let's go check out that terne roof, it's so cool!
• His heart was like a terne surface, tarnished but still strong underneath.

adjective describing a mobile home that is three times wider than a standard single-wide mobile home

• The new office building features a triple-wide conference room for large meetings.
• I heard they're putting in a triple-wide trailer at the construction site.
• Check out that triple-wide mobile home down the street!
• Her smile was like a triple-wide beam of sunshine on a cloudy day.

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

• The unexpected delay really put a crimp in our project timeline.
• Running out of gas really put a crimp in our road trip.
• Her getting sick really put a crimp in our girls' night out.
• The new regulations put a crimp in our ability to innovate.

noun a plural form of the word 'hav', which means sea or ocean in Swedish

• HAVS stands for Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome, a condition caused by prolonged exposure to vibrating tools.
• I heard that using power tools for too long can give you HAVS, so be careful.
• My hands are vibrating like crazy after using that jackhammer all day, must be getting HAVS.
• The constant buzzing of my phone gave me a sort of digital HAVS, I needed a break from all the notifications.