joist

[ joist ]

/ dʒɔɪst /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR joist ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of a number of small, parallel beams of timber, steel, reinforced concrete, etc., for supporting floors, ceilings, or the like.

verb (used with object)

to furnish with or fix on joists.

RELATED WORDS

stud, beam, brace

Nearby words

jointress, jointure, jointworm, joinvile, joinville, joist, jojoba, jokai, joke, jokebook, joker

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

Related formsjoist·less, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for joist

The kettle to the top was hoist, And there stood fastened to a joist; But with the upside down, to show Its inclination for below.
The Battle of the Books|Jonathan Swift
A blocking piece slipped between the braces carries the end of the joist for the floor slab centers.
Concrete Construction|Halbert P. Gillette
Inside, Wilson had risen to his feet, armed with a short piece of the joist, his lips drawn back so tight as to reveal his teeth.
The Web of the Golden Spider|Frederick Orin Bartlett
A roar of applause shook every board and joist of the building.
The Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln|Francis Fisher Browne

Substituting the value of I in formula we can readily estimate the size of joist or thickness of plank to use.
Concrete Construction|Halbert P. Gillette

British Dictionary definitions for joist

joist

/ (dʒɔɪst) /

noun

a beam made of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete, used in the construction of floors, roofs, etcSee also rolled-steel joist

verb

(tr) to construct (a floor, roof, etc) with joists

Word Origin for joist

C14: from Old French giste beam supporting a bridge, from Vulgar Latin jacitum (unattested) support, from jacēre to lie

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

Word Origin and History for joist

joist

early 14c. (late 13c. in Anglo-Latin), from Old French giste "beam supporting a bridge" (Modern French gîte), noun use of fem. past participle of gesir "to lie," from Latin iacere "to lie, rest," related to iacere "to throw" (see jet (v.)). Notion is of wooden beam on which boards "lie down."