ridgepole

or ridge pole

[ rij-pohl ]

noun
  1. the horizontal timber or member at the top of a roof, to which the upper ends of the rafters are fastened.

Origin of ridgepole

1
First recorded in 1780–90; ridge + pole1
  • Also called ridge·piece [rij-pees], /ˈrɪdʒˌpis/, ridge board .

Other words from ridgepole

  • ridgepoled, adjective

Words Nearby ridgepole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ridgepole in a sentence

  • Erect a ridgepole between trees and tilt branches against one side to make a lean-to framework.

    How to survive three days in the wild | By Keith McCafferty/Field & Stream | January 26, 2021 | Popular-Science
  • The house was hardly finished, and the want of skill was apparent in its erection from sill to ridgepole.

    In The Saddle | Oliver Optic
  • Lay the strips lengthwise, from ridgepole to eaves, and fasten down each strip on the old boards.

    Girl Scouts at Dandelion Camp | Lillian Elizabeth Roy
  • Lewis thinks the boy's ridgepole is crooked; but he is harmless and has done many good and gallant deeds.

    John Ermine of the Yellowstone | Frederic Remington
  • It was like riding blindfolded along the ridgepole of a church, and, had my pony slipped, the results would have been the same.

    Where the Strange Trails Go Down | E. Alexander Powell
  • The day was cold, the woods were wet, and the weather was beastly altogether when Killooleet first came and sang on my ridgepole.

    Wilderness Ways | William J Long

British Dictionary definitions for ridgepole

ridgepole

/ (ˈrɪdʒˌpəʊl) /


noun
  1. a timber laid along the ridge of a roof, to which the upper ends of the rafters are attached

  2. the horizontal pole at the apex of a tent

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