queen postn.
/ˈkwiːnpəʊst/, U.S. /ˈkwinˌpoʊst/ Building.
Either of two upright posts in a roof-truss, which extend from the principal rafters down to the tie beam at points equidistant from its middle or ends. Cf. king post n. 1.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > framework of building > [noun] > roof-beam > rafter > posts
pendant1359
pendant-post1359
side post1625
crown post1663
king piece1663
king post1669
hip pole1783
queen post1797
king1811
queen1811
middle post1819
ashlar-piece1869
wall-post1871
pendentive1893
1797 P. Nicholson Carpenter & Joiner's Asst. 57 The want of proper butments, or joggles, at the bottom of the queen post..render it altogether very infirm.
1807 T. Young Course Lect. Nat. Philos. I. xiv. 170 The tie beam may be suspended from it by a king post and two queen posts, descending perpendicularly from the joists.
1847 A. C. Smeaton Builder's Pocket Man. (new ed.) 72 When the king-post is not thought to be sufficient to support the pressure..Queen-posts..may be used.
1851 T. H. Turner Some Acct. Domest. Archit. I. iv. 162 This [roof] is very strong and massive, with tie-beams and queen posts.
1914 Times 2 June 9/7 It was then seen that the fine old open-work oak roof, with its massive king and queen posts, had been burnt to ashes.
1944 J. H. Bennetts in R. Greenhalgh Pract. Builder i. 39 (caption) Electric Derrick Crane... Back stays anchored to weighted queen-post.
2004 W. B. Maynard Walden Pond iv. 69 The building of one such replica..in 2001 sparked lively debates. Should there be a ridge pole and king and queen posts?
Compounds
General attributive.
queen-post roof n.
ΚΠ
1840 J. H. Parker Gloss. Terms Archit. (ed. 3) I. 182 The framework of a roof..is of two kinds, called ‘king-post roof’, and ‘queen-post roof’.
1951 N. Pevsner Middlesex (Buildings of Eng.) 133 The barn of c.1600 with ten bays, a queen-post roof and attached to it outside..open timber arcades.
2002 Times (Nexis) 19 Jan. The Great Hall dates from the 1380s, with a magnificent queen-post roof and stone walls.
queen post truss n.
ΚΠ
1861 S. E. Warren Man. Elem. Geom. Drawing v. ii. 92 (heading) A ‘queen post truss’ bridge.
1988 Times 28 Sept. 3/3 New king and queen post trusses are needed for the roof area; as in Wren's time, they will be made and assembled on the ground to check for fit.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1797