joist
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
- joistless adjective
Etymology
Origin of joist
1325–75; Middle English giste < Old French < Latin *jacitum support, noun use of neuter of Latin jacitus (past participle of jacēre to lie), equivalent to jaci- variant stem + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
A joist is a support that strengthens floors and ceilings in a house. Joists run horizontally, connecting with the studs in walls to give buildings a solid frame. You can't see the joists in a finished house or building, because they're inside the foundation, walls, or ceiling. Joists are usually made of wood, although they can also be concrete or steel, materials strong enough to provide support. Ceiling joists often connect to beams, which tend to be larger and run perpendicular to joists. Joist comes from the Old French word giste, "beam supporting a bridge," from the Latin iacere, "to rest."
Vocabulary lists containing joist
Learning Down The House: Parts of Your Home
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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
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Architecture 101
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Water that enters alongside the fasteners creates larger and larger cracks over time, allowing more water to enter the joist, ultimately causing premature failure.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 3, 2023
The home was badly damaged and every roof joist was left burnt by the fire.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2022
Put it in a ceiling joist or reinforced that particular area.
From Salon • Jul. 10, 2022
This same corrosion can be happening with any of the joist hangers and other structural framing connectors.
From Washington Post • May 24, 2022
He sized up a plank and laid it against what was left of a joist.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
