I-beam

[ ahy-beem ]

/ ˈaɪˌbim /

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See synonyms for I-beam on Thesaurus.com

noun

a rolled or extruded metal beam having a cross section resembling an I.Compare H-beam.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Also called I-bar

[ahy-bahr] /ˈaɪˌbɑr/ .

Origin of I-beam

First recorded in 1890–95

Words nearby I-beam

I-bar, Ibaraki, Ibarruri, IBC, IBD, I-beam, I beg your pardon, Iberia, Iberian, Iberian Peninsula, iberis

How to use I-beam in a sentence

I like how Macchi makes an I-beam do the one thing it is absolutely meant not to do: bend.
An Artist's Melting Glance|Blake Gopnik|May 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Wyman collapsed into the bay of the I-beam as if he'd been kicked in the stomach.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
This is essentially a steel I-beam (A) which grips the logs so that they will not slip.
Motor Truck Logging Methods|Frederick Malcolm Knapp
He stood at last, quivering, leaning against a gigantic I-beam that supported a heavy-casting freightway.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth

The balance is attached to an upright I-beam which is anchored to the floor and ceiling of the calorimeter laboratory.
Respiration Calorimeters for Studying the Respiratory Exchange and Energy Transformations of Man|Francis Gano Benedict
I-beam was not loaded to its full capacity, its deflection caused an outward flexure of 3/4 in.
Some Mooted Questions in Reinforced Concrete Design|Edward Godfrey

British Dictionary definitions for I-beam

I-beam

noun

a rolled steel joist or a girder with a cross section in the form of a capital letter ICompare H-beam

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012