Meaning & use
rebar
Last updated
UK/ˈriːbɑː/
US/ˈriːbɑːr/
Meaning
noununcountabletechnical
Steel bars or mesh placed inside concrete to make it stronger.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: use rebar without 'a' or a plural. When talking about individual pieces, you can say 'a rebar' or 'rebars'.
Patterns
- steel rebar
- lay rebar
- reinforce with rebar
Workers tied the rebar together before pouring the concrete.
The bridge was reinforced with thick steel rebar.
You need to check that the rebar is properly spaced.
Word forms
| plural | rebars |
|---|
Common combinations
- steel rebar
- The foundation uses steel rebar for extra strength.
- lay rebar
- The crew laid rebar across the entire floor area.
- tie rebar
- They tied the rebar with wire to keep it in place.
- reinforce with rebar
- The walls were reinforced with rebar to withstand earthquakes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reinforcing bar
- The full, formal term; rebar is the common short form used in everyday construction talk.
Word family
- reinforce verb
- To make something stronger, often by adding material like rebar.
- reinforcement noun
- The act of making something stronger, or the material added.
Practice
In construction, what is rebar used for?
Choose one answer.
Rebar is steel placed inside concrete to make it stronger. The other options describe decoration, measurement, or cutting, which are not the purpose of rebar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rebar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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