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girder

girder

14 5.0
A long strong beam usually made of steel that supports buildings or bridges
  • noun
  • /ˈɡɜrdər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : viga
  • My packing crate home was tied to a girder just above the door.
  • hull girder

But he looks at me and he says, OK, so I walk across this girder and I start walking up this cable.

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Examples

  • Some of us poke around viaducts, steel girders, stone arches, latticed trusses, and end posts.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • When the bridge opened, we used to hang on to the girders underneath.

  • Try and come this side of the girder.

  • I hit my lamp on a girder overhead.

  • He was working on a girder on a Conway Construction job.

  • Edgar is strapped to a girder by his belt, his shotgun gripped in his hands.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The wind howled fiercely around the iron girders of the Eiffel Tower.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Realizing this is futile, Dmitri slips through the floor girders and scurries towards the edge.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • A Swedish novelist saw rusty girders poke out of the gravel heaps like the stems of long since foundered boats.

  • The architect designed the building to rest securely on a strong girder that would support its weight.

Synonyms

beam
vsgirder
104 2.7

A long strong piece of wood, metal, or concrete that supports part of a building

is the main largest support rather than any ordinary supportive piece
crossbeam
vsgirder
  • Specialized
2 4.4

A horizontal beam that supports parts of a building, like a roof

is a primary longitudinal support not just a transverse connecting element
load-bearing beam
vsgirder
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A strong piece of wood or metal that holds the weight of parts of a building

is the primary long strong support used especially in bridges and buildings
box girder
vsgirder
  • Specialized
7.0

A beam with a hollow box shape used in bridges and large structures

is a heavy long main support usually made of steel in structures

Compounds

box girder
  • Specialized
7.0

A beam with a hollow box shape used in bridges and large structures

How Strong

arch
41 3.5
girder
  • Specialized
14 5.0
beam
104 2.7
joist
5 7.5

Surface Forms

girder singular
girders plural

Etymology

The word girder is related to the old word girdle and the root gird, which meant 'belt' or 'to wrap around'. So a girder is like a strong 'belt' or bar that holds up and supports a building or bridge.