cruck
1
9.9
A big curved wooden beam sometimes in a pair that supports the main roof of an old cottage
- noun
- UK
:
viga curva
- In the cruck house, the curved timbers provide both stability and charm to the structure.
Examples
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The early cruck houses had no outlet for the smoke from fires, and the people tended to die of lung disorders.
Blog text (16) -
One end of the house was a cruck house, of the type built in the late Middle Ages.
Blog text (16) -
The cruck beams in the ancient cottage upheld the thatched roof beautifully.
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The restoration of the old barn involved replacing damaged cruck supports to preserve its historic framework.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Cruck comes from an old word meaning 'hook' or 'bend', and it is like the common English word crook. So a cruck is a large curved timber that works like a big 'hook' to hold up a roof.