ridgepole
nounUK /ˈɹɪdʒpəʊl/ · US /ˈɹɪdʒˌpoʊl/
Etymology From ridge + pole.
1
A beam along the ridge of a roof to which the rafters are attached.
- In the middle of the floor was a pole of tough thornwood, to hold the end of the ridgepole.1952, Doris Lessing, Martha Quest, Panther, published 1974, page 21:
2
A horizontal pole that supports the roof of a ridge tent .