hammerbeam

American  

[ham-er-beem] / ˈhæm ərˌbim /

Or hammer beam

noun

Architecture.

1. a short wooden beam projecting from an interior wall to support or tie together rafters or arched roof braces.

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Etymology

Origin of hammerbeam

First recorded in 1820–25; hammer ( def. ) + beam

Example Sentences

Under the soaring hammerbeam roof inside, there was only the muffled sound of shoes on a carpet newly laid over the flagstone floor.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2022

The desperate and ultimately successful attempt to save Westminster Hall, the largest hammerbeam roof in Europe, is fought out inch by inch, as is the chaos of the first efforts to quell the fire.

From The Guardian • Oct. 5, 2012

No-one could bear to see the destruction of the great Gothic chamber with Richard II's hammerbeam vaulting, the most beautiful in Europe; the place where Charles I was tried.

From BBC • May 7, 2010

The height from the paving of the hall to the hammerbeam is 40 ft., and to the underside of the collar beam 63 ft.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 8 "Haller, Albrecht" to "Harmonium" by Various

Other important examples of hammerbeam roofs exist over the halls of Hampton Court and Eltham palaces, and there are numerous examples of smaller dimensions in churches throughout England and particularly in the eastern counties.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 8 "Haller, Albrecht" to "Harmonium" by Various