: any of the small timbers or metal beams ranged parallel from wall to wall in a structure to support a floor or ceiling
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J joist
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Mud tunnels, or shelter tubes, about the width of a straw, on the foundation, floor joists, and other parts of the house are signs of a colony.—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025 Anchored by a brown leather couch, the space features an eclectic mix of furnishings and accessories, including a glass coffee table, green accent chair, red record player, and a bench repurposed from the home’s floor joists; matching shelves adorn the wall.—Lennie Omalza, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Oct. 2025 Volunteer linemen helped Parker place telephone poles and rig the floor joists, but from there, Parker pieced most of it together himself.—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025 Even if the joist itself still appears solid, there can be small cracks near the screws that will keep them from holding well.—Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for joist
Word History
Etymology
Middle English giste, joiste, from Anglo-French giste, from Vulgar Latin *jacitum, from Latin jacēre to lie — more at adjacent
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