putlog

putlog

A carpenter places a wooden putlog into the brick wall.

Definition

Noun: A "putlog" is a short horizontal beam or pole used in construction or scaffolding. It is typically placed with one end resting on the ledger (a horizontal support) and the other end inserted into a hole in a wall or structure, serving as a support for scaffold boards.

Usage Examples
  • (A horizontal beam used to support the scaffold platform.)
  • (Each short support pole was inspected for safety.)
Advanced Usage
  • "putlog hole": A hole left in a wall or masonry to accommodate the end of a putlog.
    • The old building still showed putlog holes from its construction decades ago. (Small openings where scaffold supports were once inserted.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Putlog (noun): The same word; no common variants.
  • Ledger (n): A horizontal beam in scaffolding that supports the putlogs.
    • The ledger ran along the wall, and the putlogs were placed on top of it.
  • Scaffold board (n): A plank laid across putlogs to form a walking surface.
    • The scaffold boards were laid securely across the putlogs.
Synonyms
  • Scaffold pole: A general term for a pole used in scaffolding.
  • Putlock (alternative spelling): An older or less common variant of "putlog."
Related Idioms
  • (No common idioms directly involving "putlog"; the term is highly technical and specific to construction contexts.)