lintel
/ˈlɪntl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪntl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlin-tᵊl/ (ame, mw)
lintel — noun
- lintelsingular
- lintelsplural
1. a horizontal beam made of stone, wood, or metal that spans the opening above a d
a horizontal beam made of stone, wood, or metal that spans the opening above a doorway or window and bears the weight of the wall or structure above it.
The stone lintel above the church door cracked after years of heavy rain and frost.
collocation: stone lintel
Before removing the wooden lintel, the builder made sure the wall above was properly supported.
collocation: wooden lintel / remove a lintel
The museum entrance features a carved marble lintel from a Ming dynasty temple.
When the window frame was replaced, the workers found rust inside the concrete lintel underneath.
Each doorway in the Angkor complex is topped with a sandstone lintel weighing several tons.
- beam
a much broader term for any long horizontal structural support; a lintel is a specific type of beam used over openings
- header
a technical term in carpentry and masonry for a framing member that spans an opening and supports cut joists
- architrave
the lowest part of an entablature in classical architecture; sometimes used loosely for a decorative lintel