Link Centre Dictionary

cantilever

can·ti·le·ver

UK/ˈkantɪliːvə/ US/ˈkæntɪˌlivɚ/ uncommon
noun (1) verb (2)

noun

1.

verb

1.
2.

construct with girders and beams such that only one end is fixed

  • “Frank Lloyd Wright liked to cantilever his buildings”

Origin

First attested in the 1660s, probably from cant (“slope, edge, corner”) + lever, but the earliest form (c. 1610) was cantlapper. First element may also be Spanish can (“dog”), an architect's term for an end of timber jutting out of a wall, on which beams rested.

Phrases

  • cantilever bra
  • cantilever chair

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.