king post

or kingpost, king-post


noun
  1. a structural member running vertically between the apex and base of a triangular roof truss.

  2. Machinery. a rotating or stationary column for supporting tackle or booms used in lifting.

Origin of king post

1
First recorded in 1770–80

Words Nearby king post

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use king post in a sentence

  • From the striker king-post, were suspended ropes of climbers to which men could apply their strength and direction.

    The Red One | Jack London
  • Like a battering ram, this king-post could be driven end-onward against the mighty red-iridescent sphere.

    The Red One | Jack London
  • The cross rail, or transom, is strengthened by braces and a king-post to make it lighter and cheaper.

  • After sitting awhile, Kora suddenly said “Father, why did you not put up a king post when you were making this cow-shed?”

    Folklore of the Santal Parganas | Cecil Henry Bompas
  • But stop; here comes little King-Post; dodge round the try-works, now, and let's hear what he'll have to say.

    Moby Dick; or The Whale | Herman Melville

British Dictionary definitions for king post

king post

noun
  1. a vertical post connecting the apex of a triangular roof truss to the tie beam: Also called: joggle post Compare queen post

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