girder

[gur-der]

noun

1. a large beam, as of steel, reinforced concrete, or timber, for supporting masonry, joists, purlins, etc.

2. a principal beam of wood, steel, etc., supporting the ends of joists.

girder

/ ˈɡɜːdə /

noun

1. a large beam, esp one made of steel, used in the construction of bridges, buildings, etc

2. botany the structure composed of tissue providing mechanical support for a stem or leaf

Other Word Forms

• girderless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of girder¹

First recorded in 1605–15; gird ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

There are lane arrows in some of the floorboards while original lane numbers are painted on the basement girders of the back-of-house spaces.

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A short while later, in the shade of the metal girders, the Director of the Railway Authority's Construction Preparation Department Pavel Paidar shook his head in disagreement.

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Many seats, located behind thick steel girders, have obstructed views and the stadium can feel dark and dank on cold Liverpool nights.

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Men looking out over the city from balconies or gazing at it through the crisscrossed steel girders of a bridge.

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Every class gets a tour of the high-speed rail construction sites, where they see up close the viaducts and girders that are being put up every day.

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Related Words

• joist 
• truss