joist

[joist]

noun

1. any of a number of small, parallel beams of timber, steel, reinforced concrete, etc., for supporting floors, ceilings, or the like.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with or fix on joists.

joist

/ dʒɔɪst /

noun

1. a beam made of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete, used in the construction of floors, roofs, etc See also rolled-steel joist

verb

1. (tr) to construct (a floor, roof, etc) with joists

Other Word Forms

• joistless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of joist¹

1325–75; Middle English giste < Old French < Latin *jacitum support, noun use of neuter of Latin jacitus (past participle of jacēre to lie), equivalent to jaci- variant stem + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of joist¹

C14: from Old French giste beam supporting a bridge, from Vulgar Latin jacitum (unattested) support, from jacēre to lie

Example Sentences

When I took on this house, I was thinking, how can we highlight components of it, from the ceiling to the roof to the joists, as if it were an art piece?

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Machines cut lumber and route utility pathways; nail guns connect joists, studs and weather wrap; other machines blow in insulation, all guided by a digital model.

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The composite decking products can sag if you space the floor joists too far apart.

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The sophisticated wood artifacts from Schöningen join finds from just a scattering of other sites, such as 476,000-year-old wood joists from Zambia published last year and spears and other tools found elsewhere in Europe.

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He discovered that the bandboard that caps the ends of his floor joists was rotting.

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Related Words

• stud