I Beam Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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I beam

noun

: an iron or steel beam that is I-shaped in cross section

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler The first known use of I beam was circa 1889 See more words from the same year

Rhymes for I beam

  • abeam
  • airstream
  • bloodstream
  • daydream
  • downstream
  • esteem
  • extreme
  • grapheme
  • hakim
  • hornbeam
  • lexeme
  • mainstream
See All Rhymes for I beam

Browse Nearby Words

I bar I beam Iberia See all Nearby Words

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“I beam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/I%20beam. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

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