Lally

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of structural support column used in construction, typically consisting of a steel pipe filled with concrete to bear loads
2. A load-bearing post commonly employed in building foundations, made from a hollow metal tube filled with reinforced concrete for durability
3. A reinforced vertical support pillar designed to sustain weight in architectural frameworks, often constructed from steel tubing encased in concrete

Etymology: The "lally" in "lally column," the steel support post used in building construction, is a word with two proposed origins, and neither is firmly settled. One traces it to Mullally, an Irish surname, with the name shortened over time to the single word. The other links it to French, where "l'ally" or a variant of "laly" is the proposed source. The Irish-surname account is the more concrete of the two: the term appears to be a clipped form of a family name, so the trade name carries a person's identity in a way few technical terms do. Since the two accounts are not confirmed, the safest reading is that the word belongs to building-trade slang whose exact ancestry remains unresolved.

Synonyms: lally column, support column