lintel

noun

lin·​tel ˈlin-tᵊl 

: a horizontal architectural member spanning and usually carrying the load above an opening

Illustration of lintel

• 1 lintel

Examples of lintel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shifting away from the Middle-earth aesthetic, the master bedroom is in the style of an Adirondack cabin, with a half-timbered ceiling, a stone fireplace topped with a driftwood lintel and his-and-hers four-poster beds. —Mark Lamster architecture Critic, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026

Similarly, chalet-style details, such as planked ceilings, box beds, and large window lintels, are gaining popularity. —Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2026

The store was taking over the corner retail space of an 1888 brick warehouse with thick stone lintels and terra-cotta flourishes. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 12 Dec. 2025

The TikTok clip opens with Matson pointing out corroding steel lintels, which are structural supports placed above windows and other openings to sustain the building's weight. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French *lintel, alteration of linter threshold, from Late Latin limitaris, from Latin, constituting a boundary, from limit-, limes boundary

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lintel

• pintle
• quintal
• quintile

Kids Definition

lintel

noun

lin·​tel ˈlint-ᵊl 

: a horizontal piece across the top of an opening (as of a door) that carries the weight of the structure above it