logging
LOG-ing
/ˈlɒɡ.ɪŋ/
The activity or commercial industry of cutting down trees and transporting logs to sawmills.
Refers to the operational harvesting phase of forestry.
The story behind the word. From the noun 'log', which entered Middle English as a word for a heavy piece of tree trunk. By the early 19th century in North America, 'logging' became the active term for harvesting and transporting these giant wooden logs.
Word relationships
- timber harvesting: 'Timber harvesting' sounds more formal and scientific, whereas 'logging' is the common industrial term.
- felling: 'Felling' refers strictly to knocking trees down; 'logging' includes felling, trimming, and hauling.
- reforestation: Planting new trees to replace those harvested or lost.
Commonly confused with
- lodging: 'Logging' is tree harvesting; 'lodging' refers to temporary places to stay or sleep.
Word family
- logger (noun): A person whose work is cutting down trees.
- log (verb): To cut down trees for timber.
Collocations
- commercial logging
- illegal logging
- logging company
- logging operation
Example sentences
- "Illegal logging has severely threatened wildlife habitats throughout the rainforest." Environmental ecology
- "The river town depended heavily on logging and sawmills for local employment." Rural economy
Memory hook
LOGGING = turning living standing trees into heavy wooden LOGS. LOGGING = Cutting trees into logs.
When not to use
Do not confuse with digital 'logging in' to computer software systems.
Fun facts
- Before modern trucks, logging relied on spring river thaws—loggers floated millions of logs downstream to sawmills in 'log drives'.
Related words
Explore more words
Deforestation, deforest, logistics, raw materials, output, undergrowth
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