steening

The workers are laying the steening around the well.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Stone or brick lining of a well: "steening" refers to the stone, brick, or other masonry material used to line the interior of a well, forming a durable wall that prevents collapse and filters water.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The old well's steening was made of hand-cut granite blocks. (The stone lining of the well was constructed from carefully shaped granite.)
  • A broken section of the steening caused debris to fall into the water. (A damaged part of the well's masonry lining allowed dirt to enter.)

Advanced Usage

• "to lay steening": to construct or install the stone or brick lining of a well.

  • The well diggers spent a week laying steening to secure the shaft. (The workers installed the masonry lining to stabilize the well.)

• "steening work": the craft or process of building a well's lining.

  • Steening work requires skilled masons familiar with underground construction. (The specialized masonry involved in lining wells demands expert tradespeople.)

Variants and Related Words

• Steen (verb): to line a well with stone or brick.

  • They will steen the new well before it is put into use. (They will install the stone lining in the new well.)

• Steened (adjective): having a stone or brick lining.

  • The steened well provided clean, clear water for the village. (The well with its masonry lining supplied pure water.)

Synonyms

• Masonry lining: a wall of stone or brick built inside a structure.
• Well casing: a pipe or lining inserted into a well to prevent collapse (though often made of metal or plastic in modern contexts).

Related Idioms