load-bearing
/ˈləʊd ˌbeə.rɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈloʊd ˌber.ɪŋ/ (ame, ipa)
load-bearing — adjective
1. holding up the heavy parts of a structure that rest on top, so that those parts
holding up the heavy parts of a structure that rest on top, so that those parts do not fall down
Padma warned us never to knock down that wall, because it is load-bearing.
load-bearing + wall; predicative 'it is load-bearing'
The old barn stayed up because two thick oak beams were load-bearing.
load-bearing + beam
Before knocking through the kitchen, Imani asked the builder which columns were load-bearing.
Mateo drilled a hole in the kitchen, not knowing it was a load-bearing post.
In Emma's old farmhouse, a thick load-bearing wall carries the whole upper floor.
- structural
broader; refers to any part of the frame, whether or not it carries weight
- supporting
plainer everyday word for the same idea
- non-load-bearing
a wall or part that can be removed without the structure falling
文法句型
load-bearing + noun (wall, beam, column)
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (load-bearing wall/beam/column). Subject is a structural part that supports weight from above, not the weight itself.
常見錯誤
2. describing how much weight a thing is able to hold or carry before it breaks
describing how much weight a thing is able to hold or carry before it breaks
Joon drove loaded trucks across the old bridge to test its load-bearing strength.
load-bearing + strength
Élise checked the load-bearing capacity of the shelf before stacking the boxes.
load-bearing + capacity
Bao bought a new climbing rope with a far higher load-bearing limit than his old one.
Talia measured the load-bearing ability of the ice before letting the children skate.
The label states the chair's load-bearing weight is about one hundred kilograms.
- weight-bearing
near-identical; common in medical and equipment contexts
- carrying
as in 'carrying capacity'; plainer, used of vehicles and containers too
文法句型
load-bearing + capacity/strength/ability
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense pairs with abstract nouns about amount (capacity, strength, limit, ability), not with the structural part itself. Subject is the measured quantity, not the wall or beam.