: any of the small timbers or metal beams ranged parallel from wall to wall in a structure to support a floor or ceiling

Illustration of joist

Illustration of joist
  • J joist

Examples of joist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The cellar was filled to the floorboards above, and barrels hit the floor joists. Laura Ness, Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2026 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, 6 Mar. 2026 The headquarters was mostly beams and joists, with no walls yet constructed. Emily Brindley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026 Earlier this month, Aguillard got word from an architect that most of the joists that hold up the roof of the school gym in Aniak are broken. Emily Schwing, ProPublica, 30 Jan. 2026 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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of joist was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Joist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joist. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

joist

noun
: a small beam laid crosswise to support a floor or ceiling

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