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

The Jews were instructed to sacrifice a lamb or kid and smear its blood on the house’s lintel or doorpost. — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 2 Apr. 2026

God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and place its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026

The sandstone lintel, showing a fearsome dragon with human arms emerging from lush foliage, once adorned the entrance to an early Khmer sanctuary. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026

Sensitive updates were spread out over ten months, with original features like concrete-tile floors, lintels, and exposed timber posts being repaired and restored. — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2026

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