girder

noun

gird·​er ˈgər-dər 

: a horizontal main structural member (as in a building or bridge) that supports vertical loads and that consists of a single piece or of more than one piece bound together

Examples of girder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Denver Fire believes a girder (a concrete support bean) gave way below, trapping around 20 vehicles underground and more than a dozen on the surface lot. —Christa Swanson, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026

It's been a year since an excavator grappled with blue steel girders ripped from the side of McCoy Stadium as the beloved Pawtucket ballpark entered its final inning. —Providence Journal, The Providence Journal, 21 Mar. 2026

Those concrete ramps, red girders and twirling towers. —James Horncastle, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Downtown Kansas City drivers should expect major delays when a key highway faces partial closures for bridge girder installation on back-to-back weekends. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

gird entry 1 (in sense "to surround as with a belt, connect firmly") + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing girder

• lattice girder

Rhymes for girder

• murder

Kids Definition

girder

noun

gird·​er ˈgərd-ər 

: a horizontal main supporting beam