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

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

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

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