Words of the day 8/6/10

Concrete

–adjective
1.constituting an actual thing or instance; real: a concrete proof of his sincerity.
2.pertaining to or concerned with realities or actual instances rather than abstractions; particular (opposed to general): concrete ideas. 

–noun
6.an artificial, stonelike material used for various structural purposes, made by mixing cement and various aggregates, as sand, pebbles, gravel, or shale, with water and allowing the mixture to harden.Compare reinforced concrete.
7.any of various other artificial building or paving materials, as those containing tar.   See here for the rest of the meaning.

Idiom-
Set/castin concrete, to put (something) in final form; finalize so as to prevent change or reversal: The basic agreement sets in concrete certain policies.

Origin-

late 1400, "actual, solid," from Latin concretus "condensed, hardened, thick, hard, stiff, curdled, congealed, clotted," figuratively "thick; dim," lit. "grown together;" pp. of concrescere "to grow together," from com- "together" (see com-) + crescere "to grow" (see crescent). A logicians' term until meaning began to expand 1600s. Noun sense of "building material made from cement, etc." is first recorded 1834.

Answer to previous word of the day 002
Objurgate- (c)to reproach vehemently,  Paean-(a) a song of praise,  Quadratic-(c) square

Which words ? 003

Radial (a) shining bright (b) arranged like rays (c) of the base of a stem
Saccharine (a)relating to priests (b) especially sacred (c) of a sugary sweetness
Taboret (a)a small drum (b)a frame for embroidery (c)a loose outer garment worn by knights  

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b,c,b?

Don't be confused with the word 'cement ' and 'mortar' because they are not concrete but cement is what make concrete when mixed with sand, gravel and water. 

I wonder how is artfizz doing with his work on the concrete steps ?

Very smoothly until ...

one of the cats decided to walk on it.

oh dear got paw prints

I'm still trying to identify the perpetrator. Unfortunately, his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard's.