cantilever

1 of 2

noun

can·​ti·​le·​ver ˈkan-tə-ˌlē-vər 

-ˌle-

: a projecting beam or member supported at only one end: such as

a

: a bracket-shaped member supporting a balcony or a cornice

b

: either of the two beams or trusses that project from piers toward each other and that when joined directly or by a suspended connecting member form a span of a cantilever bridge

cantilever

2 of 2

verb

cantilevered; cantilevering; cantilevers

transitive verb

1

: to support by a cantilever

a cantilevered shelf

2

: to build as a cantilever

intransitive verb

: to project as a cantilever

Did you know?

Cantilevers hold up a surface or room without themselves being supported at their outer end. Many outdoor balconies are cantilevered, and theater balconies may be as well. A cantilevered bridge may have a huge span (as long as 1,800 feet) built out on either side of a single large foundation pier. Architects sometimes use cantilevered construction to produce dramatic effects; Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house, which extends out over a rocky river, is a famous example. But the Grand Canyon's "Skywalk" has become perhaps the best-known piece of cantilevered construction in America.

Examples of cantilever in a Sentence

Noun

The porch is supported by steel cantilevers.

Verb

The balcony cantilevers over the terrace below.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But in 2018, researchers John Zhang and colleagues at the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth, developed a prototype generator that used a cantilever design to produce electricity from the beating of the human heart, and demonstrated the device’s potential to power a pacemaker. —Ned Carter Miles, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2024

At the touch of a button, the platform cantilevers outwards and can be adjusted to become a perfect high-dive board, or lower into the sea to launch Grateful’s fleet of Seabobs and kayaks. —Howard Walker, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024

Verb

The Witch Elm cantilevered off detective fiction and created something far more modern and angular than its predecessors, a novel that used an old foundation to fashion a new, more pointed structure. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024

Cantilevered deck At front center of the property is an expansive deck that is partially cantilevered 40 feet above the ground. —David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps from cant entry 4 + -i- + lever

First Known Use

Noun

1667, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1902, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing cantilever

• cantilever bridge

Kids Definition

cantilever

noun

can·​ti·​le·​ver

ˈkant-ᵊl-ˌē-vər,

 also  -ev-ər

1

: a beam or support fastened at only one end

2

: either of two beams or structures that stick out from piers toward each other and when joined form a span in a bridge