gantry

[gan-tree]

noun

plural

gantries 

1. a framework spanning a railroad track or tracks for displaying signals.

2. any of various spanning frameworks, as a bridgelike portion of certain cranes.

3. Rocketry.,  a frame consisting of scaffolds on various levels used to erect vertically launched rockets and spacecraft.

4. a framelike stand for supporting a barrel or cask.

gantry

/ ˈɡæntrɪ /

noun

1. a bridgelike framework used to support a travelling crane, signals over a railway track, etc

2. Also called: gantry scaffold. the framework tower used to attend to a large rocket on its launching pad

3. a supporting framework for a barrel or cask

4. 1. the area behind a bar where bottles, esp spirit bottles mounted in optics, are kept for use or display

   2. the range or quality of the spirits on view

      this pub's got a good gantry

Word History and Origins

Origin of gantry¹

1325–75; Middle English gauntre < dialectal Old French gantier wooden stand, frame, variant of chantier < Medieval Latin cantārius < Latin canthērius < Greek kanthḗlios packass

Word History and Origins

Origin of gantry¹

C16 (in the sense: wooden platform for barrels): from Old French chantier, from Medieval Latin cantārius, changed from Latin canthērius supporting frame, pack ass; related to Greek kanthēlios pack ass

Example Sentences

Long Beach Fire Chief Dennis Buchanan said fire units responded at 9:06 a.m. and found that several containers were also leaning against a gantry crane.

From Los Angeles Times

Forty-five Just Stop Oil protesters climbed gantries on the motorway, forcing police to stop the traffic, in an attempt to cause gridlock across southern England.

From BBC

The ground's TV gantry is notorious for the precarious journey across its roof to access it.

From BBC

"Apologies to the listeners. You can understand the emotion. Back to you in the gantry."

From BBC

In partnership with architects like Benjamin Albertson and Rad Studio, the robotic gantry system can produce more free-form designs than traditional construction, with tight curves, circles and other elements.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• booth 
• platform 
• support 
• table