The term "cement" in literature frequently functions on both literal and metaphorical levels. On one hand, it describes a tangible material used to bind stones and bricks, as seen in passages detailing the construction of solid structures ([1], [2], [3]), where cement is an indispensable element of physical permanence. On the other hand, authors employ the word as a metaphor for unity and stability in relationships and society, suggesting that certain bonds—whether social, personal, or ideological—act much like cement in holding disparate parts together ([4], [5], [6]). This dual usage not only accentuates the material’s practical role in building but also enriches narratives by symbolizing the forces that underpin communal and emotional cohesion ([7], [8]).
- Once a cement water-pipe under ground at Stawell began to gradually reduce its output, and finally ceased altogether to deliver water.
— from Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World by Mark Twain
- From a distance the building appears as though built of bricks, but on closer examination it is seen to be constructed of flints set in cement.
— from The History of a Crime by Victor Hugo
- The floor of the cellar was covered with a layer of concrete, then with two coats of cement, another layer of concrete and a coat of bitumen.
— from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
- Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.
— from New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol. 8, Pt. 2, No. 1, July 1918 by Various
- The relation 'loving', as it occurs in the act of believing, is one of the objects—it is a brick in the structure, not the cement.
— from The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
- And the most important force of all—the cement that holds everything together—is their being ashamed of having an opinion of their own.
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- It is a recognition that will do more to cement the friendship of the two races than any occurrence since the dawn of our freedom.
— from Up from Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington
- This served to cement their acquaintance.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant