Ausleger

Ausleger is a German noun meaning an extending arm or projection. The term describes a component that reaches outward from a main body to support, reach, or carry something. It comes from aus- (out) and legen (to lay or place) and is used in several technical contexts.

In nautical usage, Ausleger designates a spar that projects from a mast and carries sails. It is often treated as the yardarm or a similar horizontal spar on a sailing vessel, crucial for supporting and shaping the sails on square-rigged ships.

In lifting and construction technology, the Ausleger refers to the jib or boom of a crane or similar machine. This projecting arm extends the reach of the equipment and may be fixed or telescoping to position loads away from the machine base.

In architecture and structural engineering, the term can denote a projecting beam or cantilever that extends beyond the supporting wall or structure—for example, a balcony or architectural overhang. Such Ausleger elements are designed to bear loads and create outward projections in a building’s silhouette.

The word can also appear in other engineering contexts to describe any outward-extending member intended to reach, support, or move a component. The exact meaning is determined by context, with common translations including yardarm, jib, boom, or cantilever.