Timber or wooden beams used as structural reinforcement or support within brickwork in traditional construction.
From 'brick' plus 'timber', from Old English 'timber' meaning 'building material' and Germanic roots. This compound describes a crucial hybrid construction technique combining two materials.
Medieval and colonial buildings often used 'bricktimber' construction—alternating layers of brick and wood—which created both a problem and a benefit: the wood prevented the brittle brick from cracking, but the wood also rot, so many old buildings became fire hazards.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.