Meaning & use
ridge pole
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
The long horizontal beam at the top of a pitched roof, to which the upper ends of the rafters are fixed.
Grammar: A countable noun: the ridge pole of the barn.
Patterns
- the ridge pole of something
The carpenters lifted the ridge pole into place.
The old cabin's ridge pole had begun to sag.
Rafters meet at the ridge pole along the roof's peak.
nouncountable
The horizontal pole across the top of a tent that holds up the cloth.
Grammar: Used in camping: the ridge pole holds up the canvas.
Patterns
- tie something to the ridge pole
We tied the canvas over the ridge pole.
The scouts tested the tent's ridge pole for strength.
A snapped ridge pole made the tent collapse.
Word forms
| plural | ridge poles |
|---|
Common combinations
- ridge pole of the roof
- Snow piled up along the ridge pole of the roof.
- tent ridge pole
- The tent ridge pole was made of aluminum.
- sagging ridge pole
- A sagging ridge pole was a sign of rot.
- hang from the ridge pole
- Lanterns hung from the ridge pole.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ridge beam
- Ridge beam is the common term when it is a structural beam carrying the rafters' weight.
- ridgeboard
- A ridgeboard is a board that rafters lean against but which does not carry the load.
- roof beam
- Roof beam is a general term for any beam, while ridge pole is the one at the peak.
Word family
Commonly confused: ridge pole or tent pole?
ridge pole vs tent pole
A tent pole is any pole supporting a tent, while a ridge pole is the one across the top.
Practice
The carpenter fitted the rafters to the ____ at the top of the roof.
Choose one answer.
The ridge pole runs along the peak of a roof, where rafters meet. The other parts are in different places.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ridge pole”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.