cantilever

American  

[kan-tl-ee-ver, -ev-er] / ˈkæn tlˌi vər, -ˌɛv ər /

Also cantaliver or cantalever

noun

1. any rigid structural member projecting from a vertical support, especially one in which the projection is great in relation to the depth, so that the upper part is in tension and the lower part in compression.

2. Building Trades, Civil Engineering. any rigid construction extending horizontally well beyond its vertical support, used as a structural element of a bridge cantilever bridge, building foundation, etc.

3. Aeronautics. a form of wing construction in which no external bracing is used.

4. Architecture. a bracket for supporting a balcony, cornice, etc.

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verb (used without object)

1. to project in the manner of a cantilever.

verb (used with object)

1. to construct in the manner of a cantilever.

cantilever British  

/ ˈkæntɪˌliːvə /

noun

1. 1. a beam, girder, or structural framework that is fixed at one end and is free at the other

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cantilever wing

2. a wing or tailplane of an aircraft that has no external bracing or support

3. a part of a beam or a structure projecting outwards beyond its support

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verb

1. (tr) to construct (a building member, beam, etc) so that it is fixed at one end only

2. (intr) to project like a cantilever

cantilever Scientific  

/ kăn′tl-ē′vər,-ĕv′ər /

1. A projecting structure, such as a beam, that is supported at one end and that carries a load at the other end or along its length. Cantilevers are important structures in the design of bridges and cranes.

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Etymology

Origin of cantilever

1660–70; perhaps cant ² + -i- + lever

Explanation

A cantilever is a girder or beam that supports a bridge or another large structure. Cantilevers are attached only at one end, like a rigid diving board. Structures that stick out sideways from a vertical support are cantilevers (hold your arm straight out from your body and it becomes a kind of cantilever). Engineers construct bridges using cantilevers, balancing them with counterweights or reinforcing them with girders and trusses. Cantilever bridges were originally called cantlapper bridges—from cant, or "slope," eventually combined with lever, from the Latin levare, "to raise."

Example Sentences

I love this house at 10 o’clock because of the cantilever and the shadows.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Over the next 70 years, nearly 50 giant cantilever cranes were built worldwide, with about half of them involving companies based in or near Glasgow.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

When the cantilever is placed on one of the nanoparticles, a current is passed through its tip to measure the conductivity.

From Science Daily • Jan. 12, 2024

Columns sway back and forth, like a cantilever swing, creating ample space for large groups to walk through.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 18, 2023

This is due to the half weight of centre girder, the weight of the cantilever itself, the rolling load on half the bridge, and the wind pressure.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

Related Words

• girder
• joist
• piling
• pillar
• plank
• pole
• shaft
• sill
• timber