Vigas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Long, horizontal beams typically made of wood or metal, used in construction to support roofs or ceilings
2. Structural elements that span spaces in buildings, serving as support for roofing and other loads; they are integral to traditional architecture
3. Beams placed parallel to walls, providing crucial strength and stability in both contemporary and historical building frameworks

Etymology: "Vigas" is the plural of "viga", a term for a heavy beam used in building. The singular was taken into English from Spanish "viga", which itself traces back to Latin "vica", meaning a beam or a rafter, and in Spanish it was used as a standard word for the timbers that carry a ceiling or roof. English speakers borrowed the word mainly to describe the rough timber construction of the American Southwest, where Spanish-speaking builders had long used wooden beams to support flat roofs made of earth and brush. Writers and builders adopted the Spanish term because no English word matched the local practice closely. Its plural keeps the Spanish "-s" ending, so the form "vigas" is the one most often seen in English writing about adobe and Pueblo-style houses.

Synonyms: beams, rafters, joists, supports, lintels

Antonyms: INVALID