camber
camber — noun
- cambersingular
- cambersplural
1. the slight curve of a road surface that makes the middle higher than the edges,
the slight curve of a road surface that makes the middle higher than the edges, so that rainwater can run off to the sides instead of pooling on the road
The road's camber helped rainwater drain into the ditches on both sides.
collocation: road camber
The engineer checked the camber of the new highway section after heavy rain.
grammar pattern: the camber of [road]
A proper camber on the cycle path stops puddles from forming after a storm.
Valentina noticed that the old village road had almost no camber left.
Without enough camber, water stays on the road and makes driving dangerous.
- slope
more general; camber is a specific kind of slope (higher in the middle, lower at edges)
- crown
a near-synonym for the high point of a road, but 'crown' focuses on the peak, while 'camber' describes the whole curved shape
- grade
refers to the steepness of a road along its length, not the sideways curve that camber describes
文法句型
the camber of [road]
用法筆記
Most commonly used in road construction and civil engineering contexts. Frequently paired with 'road', 'surface', or 'highway'. Can be used as uncountable ('The road needs camber') or countable with an article ('a slight camber').
2. the angle at which a vehicle's wheels are set, with the top of the wheel closer
the angle at which a vehicle's wheels are set, with the top of the wheel closer to or further from the car body than the bottom, to improve handling when turning
A mechanic adjusted the front-wheel camber after the car pulled left.
collocation: adjust the camber
Racing cars often use negative camber to grip the track better in corners.
collocation: negative camber
If the camber is wrong, the tyres wear out faster on one side.
Obi went to the garage for a camber check after hitting a large hole.
Most family cars have a small positive camber for stable straight-line driving.
- wheel alignment
broader term that includes camber, toe, and caster adjustments
- tilt
less technical; describes any leaning angle, not specifically the wheel's vertical angle
- angle
very general; camber is a specific measured angle of the wheel
文法句型
camber angle
positive/negative camber
用法筆記
Camber on a vehicle can be 'positive' (top of wheel leans outward) or 'negative' (top of wheel leans inward). This sense is almost always used in automotive or motorsport contexts.
常見錯誤
camber — verb
- camberpresent simple I / you / we / they
- cambers3rd person singular
- cambering-ing form
- camberedpast simple
1. to shape a surface so that it rises in the middle and slopes down towards the ed
to shape a surface so that it rises in the middle and slopes down towards the edges, usually to let water drain away
The builders cambered the driveway so that rain would not gather near the garage.
transitive: cambered the new driveway
Each concrete section of the bridge deck was cambered before installation.
passive: was cambered
Eleni watched the workers camber the pavement by adding more gravel to the centre line.
The wooden beams were cambered slightly to support the weight of the roof tiles.
A good road builder always cambers the surface before laying the top layer of asphalt.
- flatten
to make level, removing the camber
文法句型
camber [object]
be cambered
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive ('the road is cambered'). The active form describes the builder's action. Common objects: road, driveway, pavement, deck, beam.
常見錯誤
2. to set a vehicle's wheels at a specific angle so that the top of each wheel lean
to set a vehicle's wheels at a specific angle so that the top of each wheel leans slightly inward or outward, for better control when the vehicle turns
The racing team cambered the rear wheels more aggressively for the tight corners.
transitive: cambered the rear wheels
Putri's mechanic cambered the front tyres to reduce uneven wear after the crash.
Cambering the wheels too much makes the car hard to drive in a straight line.
The suspension was designed so that each wheel could be cambered independently.
Ishaan watched a video showing how to camber the wheels of a drift car.
文法句型
camber [vehicle's wheels]
camber [object] for [purpose]
用法筆記
Less common than the noun sense 'WHEEL ALIGNMENT'. In everyday speech, mechanics are more likely to say 'adjust the camber' than 'camber the wheels'. This verb form appears chiefly in technical manuals and motorsport discussions.