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straining piece

American  

noun

  1. (in a queen-post roof ) a horizontal beam uniting the tops of the two queen posts, and resisting the thrust of the roof.


straining piece British  

noun

  1. a horizontal tie beam that connects the top of two queen posts of a roof truss

"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

Etymology

Origin of straining piece

First recorded in 1795–1805

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.

A, B, tie beam; C, C, queen posts; D, straining piece; E, principal rafter; F, rafter.

From Project Gutenberg