Definition

1. Noun:
   • A horizontal structural element, typically a beam or stone, that spans the top of an opening such as a door or window to support the structure above it.

Usage

• The lintel is a critical architectural component found above doors, windows, and fireplaces.
• It functions primarily to bear the load from the wall above the opening and transfer it to the vertical supports (jambs) on either side.
• Lintels can be made from various materials including wood, stone, steel, or reinforced concrete.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The ancient stone doorway was capped by a massive granite lintel.
  • A crack appeared in the wooden lintel above the window.
  • The architect specified a steel lintel to support the brickwork over the new garage door.

Advanced Usage

• "to support a lintel": To provide additional structural reinforcement for the lintel.
  • Two steel columns were installed to support the lintel of the grand archway.
• "lintel course": In masonry, a continuous row of bricks or stones that functions as a lintel over a series of openings.
  • The brick facade featured a decorative lintel course above all the first-floor windows.

Variants and Related Words

• Header (n): In construction, a beam or brick laid lengthwise across the top of an opening, often synonymous with lintel in certain contexts, especially in brickwork.
  • The bricklayer laid a header to span the opening.
• Architrave (n): In classical architecture, the lowest part of an entablature resting directly on the tops of columns. Informally, the term is sometimes used to refer to the molded frame around a door or window, which is distinct from the structural lintel.
  • The ornate architrave surrounded the door, sitting just below the lintel.

Synonyms

• Beam: A long, sturdy piece of wood or metal used as a horizontal support.
• Crosspiece: A transverse beam or bar.

Related Phrases

• Lintel block: A special concrete masonry unit (CMU) with a recessed bottom designed to hold reinforcement and concrete, acting as a form for a lintel.
  • The mason used lintel blocks to create a reinforced beam over the opening.
• Lintel failure: A structural failure where the lintel cracks or collapses, often due to overloading or material degradation.
  • The inspection revealed signs of potential lintel failure due to water damage.

Noun

1. horizontal beam used as a finishing piece over a door or window