1. A short horizontal timber projecting from a wall or the top of a wall to support a roof structure, used especially in medieval architecture.
Usage: architecture; historical

Examples

• The cathedral's roof was supported by ornate hammerbeams carved with intricate designs.
• Hammerbeams allowed medieval builders to create wider interior spaces without additional supporting columns.
• The Tudor hall featured impressive hammerbeam construction that was both functional and decorative.
• Architects used hammerbeams to distribute the weight of the roof across the walls more efficiently.
• The restoration team carefully preserved the original hammerbeams in the 15th-century church.