Lintel

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈlɪn.tÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -ɪntÉ™l

Origin

From Middle English lyntel, from Old French lintel, from Latin līmināris, from līmen ("threshold (bottommost part of a doorframe)").

Full definition of lintel

Noun

1. (architecture) A horizontal structural beam spanning an opening, such as between the uprights of a door or a window, and which supports the wall above.
• 1915, W. Somerset Maugham, "":Athelny had told him that he lived in a house built by Inigo Jones; he had raved, as he raved over everything, over the balustrade of old oak; and when he came down to open the door for Philip he made him at once admire the elegant carving of the lintel.

Synonyms

• superliminary

Coordinate terms

• jamb
• sill

Anagrams

• lentil, tellin'