Concrete (stress - first or second syllable)

[paochai01]

If you say "in concrete terms", "in a concrete form", etc, do you stress the first or second syllable? Will British and American English have differences?

'Concrete', in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5th edition, as an adjective, means "made of concrete". Second meaning (still as an adjective) means 'definite and specific'. First pronunciation, British, is stressed on the first. Second, American, is on the second. Is this always true? Is it a big deal if you stress either syllable?

2nd meaning is a noun. Same pronunciation for British and American, first-syllable stress. So does it mean it's totally wrong stressing it on the second syllable if you mean 'concrete' as a noun?

3rd meaning is a verb. Again, same pronunciation for both British and American, first-syllable stress. So, is it wrong to stress it on the second syllable if you use the word as a verb? Most two-syllable words, when used as a verb, are stressed on the second syllable, right? UPgrade (noun), upGRADE (verb), etc. Also, are there any other two-syllable words whose stress falls on the first syllable when used as verbs?

 

[Rover_KE]

In BE, it's the first syllable of concrete which is stressed in all cases.

As for your final question, I can think of picture, conquer, finish without trying very hard. I bet there are dozens more.

Rover

 

[birdeen's call]

I don't think "upgrade" is usually stressed on the second syllable when it's used as a verb.

 

[Tdol]

I would stress the first syllable of upgrade as a verb. (BrE speaker)

 

[paochai01]

Thanks Rover_KE, Birdeen's Call and Tdol.
What about in American English? Should 'concrete' be stressed on the first syllable in all cases? What are the exceptions?