mudsill

[ muhd-sil ]

noun

1. the lowest sill of a structure, usually placed in or on the ground.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mudsill¹

First recorded in 1675–85; mud + sill

Example Sentences

These Africans were analogous to the “mudsill,” she writes — the wooden beam that anchors a house to its foundation and provides support for the whole structure.

From Washington Post

In a caste system, the mudsill is the bottom caste that everything else rests upon.

From New York Times

That piece is called the mudsill, the sill plate that runs along the base of a house and anchors the entire structure above it.

From New York Times

The studs and subfloors, the ceilings and windows, the doors and roofing, all the components that make it a house are built on top of the mudsill.

From New York Times

These are among the mudsill jobs in a pandemic, the jobs less likely to guarantee health coverage or sick days but that sustain the rest of society, allowing others to shelter in place.

From New York Times