Meaning & use
girder
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A large, strong horizontal beam, usually made of steel, that supports a structure such as a bridge or building.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a girder' or 'girders'.
Patterns
- steel girder
- concrete girder
- bridge girder
The bridge is supported by massive steel girders.
Workers lifted the heavy girder into place with a crane.
The old building's girders were rusted and needed repair.
Word forms
| plural | girders |
|---|
Common combinations
- steel girder
- The skyscraper's frame is made of steel girders.
- bridge girder
- The bridge girder was damaged in the earthquake.
- concrete girder
- Concrete girders are used in many parking garages.
- support girder
- The support girder carries the weight of the roof.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- girder bridge noun
- A bridge supported by girders.
Commonly confused: girder or column?
girder vs column
A column is a vertical support, while a girder is horizontal.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence? 'The workers used a crane to lift the heavy ___ into place.'
Choose one answer.
A girder is a large horizontal beam, often lifted into place in construction. Column, pillar, and post are vertical supports, not typically lifted horizontally.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “girder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.