Engineering & Construction

Vocabulary for building, design, and technical processes

Introduction

Engineering and construction shape the physical world around us. Discussing buildings, infrastructure, and technical processes requires vocabulary that bridges everyday language and specialised technical discourse.

This chapter covers vocabulary used in engineering, construction, and design contexts. These words help you discuss how things are built, how systems work, and how technical challenges are solved.

Themes

All Advanced Vocabulary in This Chapter (22)

• blueprint A detailed technical drawing or plan, originally produced as a white print on...
• prototype A first or preliminary version of a product, device, or design from which lat...
• fabricate To construct or manufacture something, especially from prepared components. A...
• weld To join metal parts together by heating the surfaces to the point of melting ...
• alloy A metallic substance made by mixing two or more metals, or a metal with anoth...
• tensile Relating to tension, or capable of being stretched or drawn out. Tensile stre...
• compression The action of compressing or being compressed — squeezing or pressing somethi...
• torque A twisting force that causes rotation. In mechanics, the measure of the tende...
• hydraulic Operated by or involving the pressure of a liquid, typically oil or water. Hy...
• pneumatic Operated by or involving compressed air or gas. Pneumatic tools and systems u...
• insulation Material used to prevent the passage of heat, sound, or electricity. Also, th...
• ventilation The provision of fresh air to a room or building, or the system used to achie...
• demolish To pull down or destroy a building or structure. Figuratively, to refute or d...
• excavate To dig out material from the ground, or to make a hole or channel by digging....
• surveyor A person who examines and records the features, condition, or boundaries of l...
• specification A detailed description of the design, materials, dimensions, and standards re...
• tolerance In engineering, the permissible amount of variation in a measurement or dimen...
• retrofit To add new technology, components, or features to an existing system, buildin...
• modular Designed with standardised units or sections that can be arranged, combined, ...
• prefabricate To manufacture sections of a building or structure in a factory for assembly ...
• mechanical Relating to machines, physical forces, or the branch of physics concerned wit...
• electrical Relating to or operated by electricity. Also used to describe the branch of e...