I-beam

[ ahy-beem ]

/ ˈaɪˌbim /

noun

a rolled or extruded metal beam having a cross section resembling an I.Compare H-beam.

Origin of I-beam

First recorded in 1890–95

Also called I-bar

[ahy-bahr] /ˈaɪˌbɑr/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for i-beam

I like how Macchi makes an I-beam do the one thing it is absolutely meant not to do: bend.
An Artist's Melting Glance|Blake Gopnik|May 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Wyman collapsed into the bay of the I-beam as if he'd been kicked in the stomach.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
The other end of the crane in this case is supported by an I-beam on a row of iron columns.
Electric Transmission of Water Power|Alton D. Adams
With two of them straddling the I-beam, the leverage was great enough to pull the plate out.
The Black Star Passes|John W Campbell

I-beam was not loaded to its full capacity, its deflection caused an outward flexure of 3/4 in.
Some Mooted Questions in Reinforced Concrete Design|Edward Godfrey
Again the I-beam and handling machine were brought into play, and the plate was unloaded from the car.
The Black Star Passes|John W Campbell

British Dictionary definitions for i-beam

I-beam

noun

a rolled steel joist or a girder with a cross section in the form of a capital letter ICompare H-beam

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012