ˈhalf-ˌtimber, n. and a.
A. n. Ship-building. (See quot.)
| 1847 in Craig. 1849–50 Weale Dict. Terms, Half-timbers, in ship-building, those timbers in the cant bodies which are answerable to the lower futtocks in the square body. |
B. adj.
1. Built half of timber.
| 1842–76 Gwilt Archit. Gloss., Half timber building, a structure formed of studding, with sills, lintels, struts and braces, sometimes filled in with brickwork and plastered over on both sides. 1874 Parker Goth. Archit. i. i. 10 Half-timber houses..of which the foundations and the ground-floors only are of stone, and the upper part of wood. |
2. Made of timber split in half.
| 1874 J. H. Collins Metal Mining 42 Timbered with half-timber sets. Ibid. 80 In the middle of these half-timber bearers the uprights..are morticed. |
Hence half-timbered a. = B 1.
| a 1847 Mrs. Sherwood Lady of Manor IV. xxiv. 80 At the porch of an old half-timbered cottage. 1893 K. L. Bates Eng. Relig. Drama 225 The many-gabled, half-timbered edifice of one of Edward VI's Free Grammar Schools. |