Meanings
plural ridgepoles · alternative ridge pole
- A beam along the ridge of a roof to which the rafters are attached.First known use 17th c.
In the middle of the floor was a pole of tough thornwood, to hold the end of the ridgepole.
1952, Doris Lessing, Martha Quest, Panther, published 1974, page 21Synonyms: ridgeboard, ridgepiece
- A horizontal pole that supports the roof of a ridge tent .First known use 18th c.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA beam along the ridge of a roof to which the rafters are attached.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna beam laid along the edge where two sloping sides of a roof meet at the top; provides an attachment for the upper ends of rafters
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Ancient Greek μέλαθρον
- μέλαθρον (mélathron)beam supporting rafters
Bulgarian хоризонтална греда
- хоризонтална греда (horizontalna greda)beam supporting rafters
Finnish kurkihirsi, harjahirsi
- kurkihirsibeam supporting rafters
- harjahirsibeam supporting rafters
- harjapuubeam supporting rafters
- harjaorsibeam supporting rafters
French panne faîtière
- panne faîtièrebeam supporting rafters
German Firstbalken
- Firstbalkenbeam supporting rafters
Irish cleith mhullaigh
- cleith mhullaighbeam supporting rafters
Malay tulang bumbung
- tulang bumbungbeam supporting rafters
Māori tāhū, tāhuhu
- tāhūbeam supporting rafters
- tāhuhubeam supporting rafters
- tāuhubeam supporting rafters
Portuguese viga
- vigabeam supporting rafters
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
ridgepole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ridgepole
“ridgepole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ridgepole. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ridgepole,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ridgepole.
Source: ridgepole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.