From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishjoistjoist /dʒɔɪst/ noun [countable] TBCone of the beams that support a floor or ceiling
Examples from the Corpus
joist• In either case, you will have to find the ceiling joists and mark their positions on the wall.• Try to keep them in a fairly straight line along each joist.• Gardener's knee pads are a good idea: kneeling on joists can be very uncomfortable.• Any time you interrupt more than one joist, the adjacent joists must be doubled to carry the load.• The mats are unrolled and laid between the joists, while the granular insulation is just poured on to the boards.• If there is only one, pick up the carpeting and make sure the plywood is secured properly to the joists.• Clip them securely to the joists and to the cistern platform; this will also reduce noise from the system.• The joists are pocketed into the side walls or party walls.Origin joist (1300-1400) Old French giste, from Latin jacere “to lie” 