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Architecture vocabulary · Building Elements and Structure

Lintel

Meaning in architecture, with examples

/ˈlɪntl/nounCommon term

In architecture, lintel means: A horizontal beam of concrete, steel, stone or timber placed over a door or window opening to carry the wall above it.

In Turkish: lento

How it is used

Used in masonry construction and on working drawings. Each end of a lintel must rest on the wall for a minimum length, often 150 mm. In post-and-lintel construction, as in Greek temples, horizontal beams sit on columns instead of arches.

Example sentences

  1. A steel lintel will be needed if we widen this window opening.

  2. The stone lintel over the door is carved with the date the house was built.

Common collocations

  • steel lintel
  • stone lintel
  • concrete lintel
  • post and lintel
  • beamA horizontal structural member that carries loads across an opening or between supports and transfers them to columns or walls.
  • masonryConstruction made of separate units such as stone, brick or concrete blocks laid in mortar; also the units themselves as a building material.
  • archA curved structure spanning an opening, built of wedge-shaped stones or bricks that press against each other and carry the load above down to the sides.
  • brickA small rectangular block of fired clay used to build walls; bricks are laid in mortar in regular patterns called bonds.
  • load-bearing wallA wall that carries weight from the floors and roof above and transfers it down to the foundations, so it cannot be removed without adding another support.

More terms: Building Elements and Structure

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