lintel

What it means

1. architectureA horizontal structural beam spanning an opening, such as between the uprights of a door or a window, and which supports the wall above.

   Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,

   1927 August, T[homas] S[tearns] Eliot, “[Ariel Poems.] Journey of the Magi.”, in Collected Poems 1909–1935, London: Faber & Faber […], published September 1954, →OCLC, page 107

   1 more example

   Athelny had told him that he lived in a house built by Inigo Jones; he had raved, as he raved over everything, over the balustrade of old oak; and when he came down to open the door for Philip he made him at once admire the elegant carving of the lintel.

   1915, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter LXXXVII, in Of Human Bondage, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC

   Synonyms: overslay, superliminary, header

In a sentence

Athelny had told him that he lived in a house built by Inigo Jones; he had raved, as he raved over everything, over the balustrade of old oak; and when he came down to open the door for Philip he made him at once admire the elegant carving of the lintel.

1915, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter LXXXVII, in Of Human Bondage, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC

Where it comes from

1. Old Frenchlintel
2. Middle Englishlyntel
3. Englishlintel

From Middle English lyntel, from Old French lintel, from Vulgar Latin *līntellus, for *līmitellus, diminutive noun from līmes. Equivalent to limit + -el.