expansion joint

American  

noun

1. a joint between two parts of a structure, machine, etc., permitting expansion, as from heat, without structural damage.

---

expansion joint British  

noun

1. engineering a gap in steel or concrete to allow for thermal expansion

---

Etymology

Origin of expansion joint

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The works then progresses over the following months to bridge waterproofing, concrete repairs, resurfacing, expansion joint replacements, edge beam strengthening, and barrier upgrades.

From BBC • Sep. 7, 2025

Motorists flooded the island, and were sometimes stuck a few hours Friday night, while all mainline lanes were closed above the island’s western shore for expansion joint replacement.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 29, 2022

Motorists second-guessed the Washington State Department of Transportation’s strategy to replace a worn expansion joint and barricade all four mainline lanes during the Friday afternoon commute, Saturday’s Huskies game and Sunday’s Seahawks game.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 27, 2022

Contractors for the Washington State Department of Transportation will replace a giant expansion joint installed in 1989, that officials say might break someday and force an emergency closure if it isn’t replaced.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 22, 2022

We had to leave a place there at the side, an expansion joint, to take care of that.

From Northern Nut Growers Association, Report of the Proceedings at the Fourth Annual Meeting Washington D.C. November 18 and 19, 1913 by Northern Nut Growers Association