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Synonyms

joist

American  
[joist] / dʒɔɪst /

noun

  1. 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)

  1. to furnish with or fix on joists.

joist British  
/ dʒɔɪst /

noun

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

"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

verb

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

"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

Other Word Forms

  • joistless adjective

Etymology

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

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.

What about the nails that attach the deck joist hangers and other structural connectors to the wood?

From Seattle Times • Jan. 2, 2023

The home was badly damaged and every roof joist was left burnt by the fire.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2022

“The first day we start building, you have got to know what a joist is, a stud, decking, all those words.”

From Washington Post • Sep. 28, 2022

Put it in a ceiling joist or reinforced that particular area.

From Salon • Jul. 10, 2022

He sized up a plank and laid it against what was left of a joist.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.